


the most wonderful time of the year

by dare121



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Advent Calendar, F/F, and some of the other characters obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-03 09:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8707714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dare121/pseuds/dare121
Summary: This is an Advent Calendar for my friend @murderiread on tumblr. I'm going to be posting a short one shot every day from the 1st until the 24th of December. The prompt and the specific tags for each one shot will be posted in the chapter summary.





	1. how to get the girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first prompt/word was: "kiss" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> One shot summary: "Mon-El thinks it's stupid that Kara and Alex keep dancing around their feelings for one another, so he sees it as his personal duty to help Kara get the girl."

Mon-El didn’t know why Kara didn’t just ‘lay a big one’ (as Winn had called it) on the angry agent to get the whole pining thing over with already.

 

Yeah sure, she’d said that the agent was her ‘sister’ and that Mon-El was crazy for even insinuating that she would want to do anything of the sort with her, but Mon-El wasn’t an idiot despite what Kara thought of him. He’d had a sister on Daxam, and he’d certainly never looked at her like that.

 

And besides, by now he knew what Kara looked like when she was lying. And the crinkle in between her eyebrows had been particularly deep when she’d denied her feelings for the agent. _Alex_.

 

He wasn’t the most intuitive guy, but even he could tell that these two would be going nowhere, if he and Winn didn’t do something about it soon. Watching Alex and Kara dance around one another was almost physically painful, and he hadn’t spent years floating around in space only to end up with a mentor who couldn’t even get the girl.

 

-

 

“This is a terrible idea,” Winn whispered, leaning against the wall and trying not to flinch every time Kara threw herself against the door in an attempt to break free.

 

“This is an awe and some idea,” Mon-El replied, wishing he had cool x-ray powers like Kara to see if either one of the two women had picked up the bottle of alcohol that he and Winn had left for them in the kryptonite chamber. He’d had Winn hack the system so it could only be accessed from outside, and then they’d set the radiation at a level that would strip Kara of her powers but wouldn’t hurt her in the long run.

 

“Awesome is one word,” Winn grumbled for the umpteenth time, still unaware of the fact that Mon-El had taken to mispronouncing words just to mess with him a little. “And Kara is going to kill us once she gets out of there. And then Alex is going to set what’s left of us on fire.”

 

Shrugging, Mon-El wrapped his arm around Winn’s shoulder and pulled him in the direction of the exit.

 

“I’ll just tell her I wanted an afternoon off training. She’s not going to be too mad about that,” he said confidently, ignoring Winn’s disbelieving little snort. “Besides, this plan is genius. We left them with a bottle of booze, a bed, and nothing else to do. They’re going to be making it in no time.”

 

Squinting up at him, Winn tilted his head to the side.

 

“Do you mean ‘doing’ it?” he asked, his brows furrowed.

 

Mon-El waved away his question.

 

-

 

Kara was very mad about being locked in a room for five hours, but she was a joy to be around compared to Alex. Mon-El tried to block out what she had said to him after they’d been released.

 

He was pretty sure he’d be having nightmares for the next few weeks.

 

-

 

When the whole locked in a room together thing didn’t help, Mon-El tried a different strategy. Of course being around one another wouldn’t be enough. Alex and Kara had grown up together, and a little bit of alone time with a good bottle of alcohol wouldn’t get them to confess anything.

 

On Daxam, whenever he’d been trying to get his friends the person of their desires, he’d employed a completely fool-proof method. He’d just made them jealous. Jealousy was like a binding agent, and he’d gotten into more than one ‘fight’ where the person he’d been trying to make jealous asked him for a duel for the other person’s affection.

 

Worked like a charm every time.

 

So the next time he spotted Alex in front of the big, primitive television screens in the command region, Mon-El was pleased to see Kara standing next to her. They were really making it all too easy for him.

 

Before jogging over to them, he made sure in one of the many reflective glass surfaces in the building that his hair looked good and his muscles were showing properly through his tight t-shirt. He really needed Alex to feel the heat.

 

Sidling up to Kara, he checked that Alex was watching when he slid his arm around Kara’s shoulder.

 

“Hey, Kara,” he said, affecting his best sensual voice.

 

Kara furrowed her brows at him, obviously disturbed by his tone.

 

“Um, hey, Mon-El,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. She was still weary after the stunt he and Winn had pulled a few weeks ago. “What’s up?”

 

He grinned, and flexed his right arm to show off what he was working with.

 

“Oh, you know, just wondering what you were doing… beautiful.” He needed to lay it on thick. People on Daxam had always responded best when they were confronted with overt sexual innuendos and other such things. “I thought the two of us could go out tonight. Winn said that it would be nice to have a little ‘roll in the hay’.”

 

He wiggled his eyebrows, and was more than pleased to see Alex’s face take on a dark glare.

 

What he hadn’t expected was for Kara to push him forcefully down onto the ground and away from herself.

 

“Mon-El! Ew, that’s so gross, you’re like a little brother to me.” She screwed up her face and shook herself. When his eyes flicked to Alex, he noticed the pleased little smile she was now trying to hide. Damn, that hadn’t worked out how he’d wanted it to.

 

“Sorry,” he said, getting to his feet and sliding up next to Alex instead.

 

Before he could even open his mouth, she’d pulled her weapon on him.

 

He got the message.

 

-

 

Dejected, Mon-El watched as Kara laughed about something Alex was telling her, the agent’s hand placed firmly on Kara’s bicep. He watched as she squeezed Kara’s arm and leaned in closer, a cup of fruit punch held in one hand.

 

He sighed, sitting on one of the chairs the DEO people had scattered around the room for the guests to sit on while they spent their time at this Christ-Mas party. Mon-El hadn’t really been paying attention when Kara had tried to tell him about the significance about this earthling holiday.

 

Sipping on his spiked punch, he watched as Kara whispered something into Alex’s ear and the agent’s face flushed in amused pleasure.

 

“Pathetic,” he said to himself, looking up when Winn sat down next to him. His friend was wearing a pointy red hat with a white, fluffy rim, and a truly disgusting sweater with small, white snowflakes littered all over the shoulders.

 

“Okay, before you get too sad,” Winn started, scooting close on his chair, “I may have another idea on how to get Alex and Kara to finally, you know, confess their feelings for each other. Or at least something that might get them in the right mindset.”

 

Almost spilling his drink, Mon-El sat up quickly, his melancholy about his failure instantly forgotten.

 

“Tell me.”

 

-

 

“I can’t believe she actually said that to you,” Kara said, shaking her head and taking a sip of her punch.

 

Mon-El watched as Alex rolled her eyes and nodded.

 

“I know, it’s like mom just waits for the opportunity to jump my ass,” Alex replied, completely missing that Winn was walking up to her. Mon-El couldn’t believe how blind the two of them were, when they clearly only had eyes for each other.

 

He watched as Winn tapped Alex’s shoulder.

 

“Hey, can you come over there to talk to me for a second? I have an update about that kryptonite shield we were talking about. Won’t take more than a minute,” he said, lifting up both hands when Alex fixed him with a stern glare. “I promise I won’t try to lock you up in another room. It was all Mon-El’s fault. He can be very persuasive.”

 

Rolling her eyes yet again, Alex gave Kara a knowing look before following Winn over to the side of the room, leaving Kara to stare after her sister with a dejected little pout on her face.

 

Mon-El smirked, finished his punch, then waved enthusiastically at Kara, who gave him a perplexed look. She was wearing an ugly Christ-Mas sweater over her usual superhero outfit, though she’d decided to forgo the cape this time.

 

“Hey, Kara, now that Alex and Winn are busy, I was wondering if I could actually talk to you about something, too,” he said, playing innocent as he stopped in front of her. He could tell that she was suspicious.

 

“Sure, what do you want to talk about?” she asked warily, taking a sip from her punch.

 

With nothing but a smile, he took her cup, set it down on a nearby table, and grabbed her by the arms. Before Kara could say another word, he was speeding them both over to where Winn and Alex were standing, further away from the crowd.

 

When he stopped, Alex and Kara were standing together, both of them looking more than a little pissed off.

 

“Mon-El, what the heck?” Kara demanded angrily, while at the same time making sure that Mon-El’s super speed hadn’t hurt Alex in some way. He rolled his eyes. Even when she was mad at him, Alex still took precedent. “What has gotten into you lately?”

 

He shook his head, and Winn - who was hiding behind his broad back - pointed up at the ceiling.

 

While Kara continued to glare at them (looking seconds away from roasting them both with her heat vision), Alex glanced at the ceiling; a heavy blush filled her cheeks when she noticed the bundle of green leaves and white berries hanging over them.

 

She seemed to grasp what their plan was a lot quicker than Kara, who took a menacing step forward.

 

“Kara, I think I know what they’ve been doing,” she said, wrapping her arm around Kara’s front and holding her back from pinning either Winn or Mon-El up against the nearest wall.

 

Mon-El was more than a little pleased when Kara backed down and looked at Alex.

 

“What?” she asked, apparently surprised that her sister wasn’t angry. When Alex nodded upwards at the ceiling, Kara followed the motion with her eyes, until her eyes locked on to the mistletoe as well. “Oh.”

 

Grinning, Mon-El patted them both on the shoulder, while Winn slowly crept back into the crowd.

 

“You know what to do, I’m sure,” Mon-El said cheerily. “Earth law commands that you bow down to the mistletoe’s wishes. At least that’s what Winn told me. Or something like that.” He winked at them, before walking away and finding Winn at the punch bowl.

 

Looking back over his shoulder, he watched as Kara blushed and said something to Alex, who took her by the hand and pulled her along.

 

“I thought they were going to kiss now?” Mon-El crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Alex dragged Kara out of the room. It was totally unfair that Kara got to have all of the cool spying powers and all he could do was punch and run.

 

“If they’re going to kiss, and that’s a big if, they’re not going to do it here where everyone can see them,” Winn replied, picking up a new punch glass and filling it up with the sweet liquid. “All we can do now is hope that maybe they’ll end up kissing somewhere else. And we’re _not_ going to follow them.”

 

Scoffing, Mon-El acted as though the thought hadn’t even entered his head.

 

Besides, he’d done all he could. If Kara and Alex still wanted to act as though there was nothing going on between them even after all of this, _they_ would be the ones missing out.

 

-

 

Not even a week later when he walked in on Alex and Kara making out in a storage closet in between strategy meetings, Mon-El knew he still had it. Daxam was gone, but it would live on inside of him.

  
Even though it was kind of gross to watch his sort of new sister making out with the angry agent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing this for me c:
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr


	2. help, save, protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt/word: "Touch" [Kara x Alex; mild angst with a happy end]
> 
> Summary: "Kara wants to help people. She's just not sure why she has to lose herself to do it."

The first time Kara saved someone on Earth, her body had gone into overdrive with adrenaline. The moment she’d realized someone needed her help, she’d acted instinctively. Nothing had mattered but saving that woman and her baby from their burning car, and almost nothing could have stopped Kara from leaving the scene of the incident and helping more people all around the area.

 

At least that’s what her Kryptonian mind - altered by Earth’s yellow sun - had told her to do.

 

Go out there and do good.

 

Go out there and save people.

 

Go out there and be their role model. Be their savior.

 

Kara had been unprepared for the strong emotions that had washed over her body. In fact, she’d been on the verge of flying away, when Alex had been hit by some of the debris of the car’s explosion. 

 

Back then, Alex’s pain had been the only thing tethering her to the ground.

 

A quick x-ray had revealed that Alex’s arm was broken, and Kara had been thinking about nothing else but carrying Alex to the nearest hospital, when something odd had taken place. Something even stranger than the initial imperative to  _ help _ ,  _ help _ ,  _ help _ .

 

When Kara’s hands had made contact with Alex’s skin, the compulsion to let go of herself and become nothing but a beacon of hope and light... had melted away.

 

The urge to help Alex was still there, but it was less all-encompassing, less forceful.

 

Kara remembered how she’d blinked in confusion, and how she’d stared at Alex’s wounded forearm with consternation. Kara remembered how she’d tried to figure out who she was and whether or not she even knew how to be herself after this pressing need to  _ save  _ had taken over.

 

Eventually someone else had called an ambulance while Kara had been kneeling next to Alex, her hands firmly placed on Alex’s shoulders. Her foster sister had been like a life vest keeping Kara afloat in a sea of strange, dangerous emotions and her family’s heritage. 

 

Up until that point, Kara hadn’t realized just how far her father and uncle had gone to ensure that Earth would be safe from Kara and Kal’s superhuman abilities. Far enough to include a failsafe in their children’s DNA, just in case she and Kal decided to go against their parents’ wishes and decided to dominate the human race.

 

The knowledge, the  _ truth _ , had been more than terrifying.

 

-

 

Kara had never told Eliza or Jeremiah what she’d discovered that day.

 

She’d told them that she didn’t want to use her powers, because she wanted to be normal and lead a human life. That she had no aspirations to become a superhero like her cousin and that she was fine with living a life of mediocrity. 

 

It had been a lie, of course.

 

From the moment she’d known that Kal had grown up to become Superman, Kara had dreamed of becoming something much the same. Superwoman, perhaps. Or maybe a name that she could make for herself.

 

But after the car incident, after that feeling of empty goodness, Kara had been too afraid.

 

She didn’t want to lose herself.

 

And she couldn’t expect Alex to be around her every time she used her powers to bring her back to herself. 

 

-

 

To Kara’s great chagrin, the urge to  _ help _ , to  _ save _ , to  _ protect  _ didn’t just go away because she’d made a pact with herself to be human.

 

It grew and shifted inside of her, warring with her whenever she was away from Alex for long stretches of time. Left her feeling  _ good  _ and  _ pure  _ and  _ empty  _ inside, like she was being consumed by light.

 

The first time Kara crawled into Alex’s bed - shivering - she almost sobbed when Alex didn’t send her away.

 

She didn’t want to believe her father had intended for her to suffer quite this much.

 

-

 

It took Kara months to realize why being close to Alex kept the emptiness at bay. 

 

And why - after a few weeks - hugging Eliza helped almost as much as laughing with Alex did. 

 

-

 

Becoming Supergirl had been her choice.

 

Ever since she’d come to Earth, Kara had fought against her biological imperative. She’d never spoken to anyone about her problem - not even Clark, who seemed like a prime candidate to speak to. 

 

But Clark had been  _ three _ when he’d come to Earth. He’d grown up loving the humans around him and he felt like one of them. Thanks to his adoptive parents, he’d grown up with the  _ need to help _ as something positive. As a part of his personality. 

 

And Kara didn’t want to be a burden on him. 

 

She’d been sent to Earth to protect him, and that included protection from emotional pain.

 

At least that’s what she told herself. 

 

But becoming Supergirl had been her  _ choice _ .

 

-

 

The first thing she’d felt when she’d heard about Alex’s plane crashing down from the sky had been fear. For a split-second, she’d been too scared to move. And even though she was too ashamed to admit it to herself later, she’d been more scared of losing herself to the light than she had been of losing Alex.

 

For a split-second.

 

Before the knowledge that  _ Alex  _ was on that plane truly registered.

 

Alex.

 

-

 

In the end, the choice to reveal herself to the world had been remarkably easy.

 

It was everything that had come after that was the problem. 

 

As soon as Kara had left the ground, she’d felt the all too familiar feeling of  _ save them _ ,  _ help them _ ,  _ protect them _ . The light that overtook every part of her body and made her fly faster and faster.

 

_ I’m coming, Alex. _

 

_ I love you, Alex. _

 

_ I love you, I love you, I love you. _

 

The words had run like a mantra through Kara’s head; the only thing reminding her that she was more than her need to help people. She forced herself to visualize Alex in her apartment, laughing at something Kara had told her. Thought of Winn showing off his new tie and of Ms. Grant giving her one of those rare smiles.

 

As she pushed herself against the bottom of the plane, her body screaming at her to just _ let go _ , she finally let instincts take over. As her father’s failsafe eclipsed everything else about her, Kara used what was left of herself to focus her eyes on where she knew Alex to be. 

 

Maybe, she hoped, it would be enough.

 

-

 

It was.

 

-

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered, clutching Alex close to herself as she pushed herself away from the sunlight dispenser she’d been strapped into. With every second, the need to go and do  _ more  _ drifted away as Kara breathed in her sister’s scent. “I’m sorry.”

 

Alex’s fingernails dug into her back.

 

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” Alex replied, ignoring J’onn’s concerned look. “The next time you carry a gigantic bomb, I want you to let go of it  _ before _ it almost kills you.” 

 

Her touch was holding Kara together.

 

Even though her father’s imperative had waned over the years, growing fainter as Kara refused to use her powers, she still felt the urge to give herself up every day. And Alex had no idea that Kara had been physically unable to let go of the bomb until she had been absolutely certain that no civilians would be harmed during its detonation. 

 

-

 

“What were you thinking going out there by yourself without waiting for backup?” Alex raved as she stormed into the med bay, where Kara was anxiously trying not to get up and help Agent Vasquez with their paper cut. 

 

As soon as Alex was within reaching distance, Kara wrapped both arms around her neck and pressed her nose against her sister’s temple. 

 

“This isn’t going to make me any less pissed,” Alex growled, even though she was already returning the hug in kind and running her hands along Kara’s back. “You knew that Fort Rozz prisoner was way too dangerous. You’re lucky you got out of there alive.”

 

Kara closed her eyes and basked in Alex’s proximity. 

 

Her friends were great, but nothing beat having Alex by her side.  

 

“Sorry,” Kara breathed, completely ignoring the fact that Vasquez was looking at the two of them with a raised eyebrow. No one at the DEO was used to the sight of Agent Danvers being soft and loving, yet. “I just wanted to help and I didn’t want anybody else to get hurt.”

 

Huffing, Alex held Kara tighter for a second, before letting go and stepping back. 

 

“That’s no excuse and you know it,” she grumbled, before shaking her head. “You don’t owe the world anything, Kara. The people who work here know how dangerous the job can be and they’re prepared to risk their lives just like you. And if we all stick together, we all make it out together.” She shook Kara’s knee. “Got it?”

 

Alex’s hand left a searing spot of heat in its wake.

 

Kara nodded.

 

-

 

Pushing Fort Rozz out of Earth’s atmosphere was not Kara’s idea of a good time. 

 

For once in her life, she relished the feeling of purpose that the action was giving her. The purpose that her father had saddled her with when he’d adjusted her DNA before sending her away. 

 

And still, the sense of peace that washed over her wasn’t entirely artificial. 

 

Over the last year of being Supergirl, Kara had learned to distinguish between what was her own drive to do good, and which was the fake and forced desire to  _ Help _ .  _ Save _ .  _ Protect _ . It had been difficult at first, and she’d needed more contact than ever after each mission, but as time went on… It had become easier and easier. 

 

And now, as she told Alex to have a good life, Kara found that it wasn’t difficult at all to stay herself, and she wondered if she’d gone about this the wrong way all along. 

 

If the last twelve years of her life had been a fluke.

 

If it had been the fear that had been holding her back all of this time.

 

If her inability to be who she wanted to be hadn’t been because of what her father had done to her. But because of what Kara had been too afraid to do herself. 

 

The thought was a comfort to her, as she left Earth behind. 

 

At least she’d finally… finally figured it out.

 

-

 

“I’m genetically predispositioned to do good,” Kara whispered quietly to Alex, both of them sitting on the metal table Kara had woken up on about five minutes ago. “My father changed my DNA so I would never turn against humanity.”

 

The tension in Alex’s body was almost palpable.

 

“Clark was changed, too, but he never knew any different, so he never had the same problems that I did.” Kara swung her legs back and forth, perfectly aware of Alex’s body heat so close to her. Even though she’d made peace with the light, Alex still gave her plenty of comfort.

 

“What kind of problems did you have?” Alex’s voice was quiet, and Kara knew that she was angry. Or disappointed, maybe. Or some other dark emotion that Kara couldn’t name right now in her moment of staggering relief.

 

“The first time I used my powers, I forgot who I was,” Kara admitted, closing her eyes and bumping her shoulder against Alex’s rigid body. “My entire self just, I don’t know, disappeared. I wasn’t Kara, I was just... “ She shook her head. “Supergirl, I guess. Even though Supergirl wasn’t a thing yet.”

 

Instinctively knowing what Alex would do, Kara slipped her hand into her sister’s so she couldn’t clench her hands too tightly. 

 

Alex had a habit of breaking skin when she was anxious.

 

“Is that what happens every time you use your powers?” Alex’s words shook as she pressed them out through clenched teeth. “Are you saying that I haven’t noticed for over a year that my little sister  _ disappears  _ whenever we work together?”

 

It was such an  _ Alex  _ thing to do, to make it her own fault. 

 

It almost made Kara smile.

 

“I don’t forget who I am when I’m with you,” she whispered, leaning her head against Alex’s shoulder. “That’s something I figured out pretty quickly.” She wrapped her free hand around Alex’s stomach. “Touching you… loving you…” 

 

Turning her head, she pressed a kiss against Alex’s cheek. 

 

“My father probably figured that I wouldn’t turn on the human race if I loved a human.” Kara tried not to notice the blush on her big sister’s cheeks. “Anyway, I just… wanted to thank you. For always being there for me, even though you didn’t know how much you were helping me.”

 

She didn’t need to tell Alex how scary the prospect of losing herself was; she had a feeling her sister already knew plenty about that. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” Alex asked quietly, squeezing Kara’s hand with her own.

 

“And make you feel guilty for every second you weren’t spending with me?” Kara shook her head. “I couldn’t do that to you. Eliza made you feel guilty enough.” She lifted her left shoulder in a half-shrug. “And now that I’ve finally figured out how to live with it, you can’t worry about it anymore.”

 

The sudden smile on Alex’s face looked more like a grimace.

 

“Guess that means you don’t need me to hover anymore,” she said, jumping down from the table and smoothing her black polo shirt down with her hands. 

 

Before she could turn away, Kara was on her feet.

 

“Don’t be silly,” she said, cupping Alex’s cheek. “I will  _ always  _ need you.”

 

All these years, it had never felt right to demand anything more from Alex, when Kara was already taking so much. But all that was different now, and even though Kara didn’t expect anything to happen right away, she knew she didn’t have to hold herself back any longer. 

 

And when she laid a kiss on the corner of Alex’s mouth, she knew Alex could feel the change as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this turned out WAY different than i thought it would. and the whole concept is a lot bigger than this little ficlet could deal with. hope you enjoyed, anyway!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for beta-ing :)
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	3. blind as a bat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Confusion" [Kara x Alex; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Alex is nervous. Should she wear pants? Should she wear a dress? How does this work, exactly?"

Furrowing her brows, Alex looked down at the pair of tight jeans in her hands.

 

She wanted to make a good first impression, but she wasn’t sure how far to go with her outfit. 

 

Lucy hadn’t exactly been very forthcoming with information about who this mystery woman was that Alex was supposed to go out with. 

 

“As long as it’s not Astra,” Alex whispered to herself, holding the jeans against her legs. Maybe she should go for something a little more fancy. Maybe a dress would be a good idea. Stupid Lucy Lane and her stupid ideas. 

 

“Never again,” Alex promised herself, grimacing as she threw the jeans onto her bed and stalked over to her closet. “The next time, I’ll find my own damn date.”

 

At least Kara wasn’t hovering around her, trying to give helpful suggestions. 

 

The last time Alex had listened to her advice about what to wear on a date, she’d ended up with a terrible combination of colors and the guy had vacated the premises after one drink. 

 

Or maybe Alex’s surly attitude had been the reason.

 

“Thank fuck that shit is done with,” she murmured, thinking about how boring and stupid all of her previous dates with men had been. She still couldn’t believe she’d never made the lesbian connection before.

 

“Thank you, Maggie.”

 

Even though things with her friend hadn’t worked out and Alex had spent a good few months pining after her with no results, Alex was glad for the heartbreak. In retrospect at least. It had been awful while she’d felt it.

 

But now she could move on and go on dates with women and she didn’t have to pretend anymore.

 

With a flourish, she opened the door to her closet and stared at the small number of dresses in front of her. She didn’t have much cause to get glamorous and fancy since she worked most of the time. And for those times that she really did need a dress, Alex could always just raid the DEO’s massive collection. 

 

Humming, Alex took her phone from her pocket.

 

[Alex Damnvers]: Should I wear a dress to this thing?  _ Sent 6:22pm _ .

 

With a great big sigh, she flopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe she should call Kara after all, just to see what she was getting up to. 

 

She hadn’t told Kara that she was going on a date and she’d made Lucy swear up and down not to tell her about it, either. It was bad enough that Alex was stressing out about it. 

 

If Kara started talking about how well Alex would do and how happy any woman should be to have her, Alex might just go and lose it for good.

 

Her anxiety was not on her side today.

 

When her phone vibrated on her stomach, Alex jumped, almost letting it topple directly out of her fingers and onto the ground.

 

“Get a damn grip,” she told herself, shaking out her hair. If she was already this nervous  _ now _ , how the fuck was she supposed to get through a whole date with a woman she didn’t even know? 

 

[Computer Nerd Jr.]: Why are you asking me? Ask Lucy what the chick is into.  _ Sent 6:23pm _ .

 

With a scowl and a grunt, Alex slapped her hands over her eyes, the phone tumbling onto the bed next to her head. 

 

This was getting her nowhere.

 

Picking up her phone again, she noticed that Winn had sent her another text.

 

[Computer Nerd Jr.]: Wear whatever makes you comfortable. It’s not rocket science.  _ Sent 6:24pm _ .

 

How intensely helpful.

 

“It’s not rocket science,” she mocked his words, shutting off the screen and turning onto her stomach to press her face against the duvet. “I bet I’d be great at rocket science.” Her words were barely audible even to her own ears.

 

Maybe she should cancel the date.

 

Just call Lucy and tell her she wasn’t ready.

 

So what if Lucy laughed at her for being a big wuss, at least Alex could stop feeling so goddamn anxious about meeting this woman. 

 

God, she really was pathetic.

 

Her phone vibrated again.

 

Probably Winn, telling her to get a grip.

 

She should’ve never given him her number.

 

More vibrating.

 

Maybe she could spend the evening with Kara instead. If she was free, at least. If Mon-El didn’t make her go to another monster truck rally. 

 

“This is so stupid.”

 

Grabbing her phone again, she unlocked it to read the new messages.

 

Two from Winn and one from Lucy.

 

[Computer Nerd Jr.]: Just wear a pair of pants and be done with it. You lesbians are so complicated.  _ Sent 6:30pm _ .

[Computer Nerd Jr.]: KIDDING please don’t hurt me.  _ Sent 6:30pm _ .

 

She rolled her eyes, but a self-satisfied grin slipped over her lips. At least Winn had the appropriate amount of respect for her, even if it usually took him a second. 

 

Blowing out a breath, she opened up Lucy’s message, and immediately rolled her eyes a second time.

 

[The Better Lane]: You are not canceling this date. Shut up, put on some nice clothes, and get your ass over to the restaurant. I am not going to ask you this nicely again.  _ Sent 6:31pm _ .

 

With a lopsided grin, Alex leaned her head against her hand and pressed the call button.

 

“This is you asking nicely? I feel like I should reconsider going on a date with anyone who was approved by you,” she teased as Lucy pressed the answer button. 

 

A snort of glee drifted through the receiver.

 

“I don’t pay you to be sassy, Danvers,” Lucy replied, sounding pretty sassy herself. “Are you dressed yet? Put on a pair of pants and get out of the apartment. Your date starts at seven. I don’t want you to be late.” 

 

“Yes, mom,” Alex said, pushing herself up from the bed and walking back over to her closet. Maybe her best pair of chinos  _ would  _ be nice enough for a first date. “Are you hanging out with Winn, by any chance?”

 

She threw the dark pants onto her bed and followed them up with her white and blue striped blouse. If anything went down at the restaurant during the date - as they were wont to do in National City - at least Alex wouldn’t have to worry about her dress riding up while she ran and fought.

 

“We’re hanging out with James at his apartment,” Lucy replied, clearly devoted to ensuring that her friendship with James actually worked out for the best since they’d known each other for so long. “We’re watching the new  _ Sharkodactyl  _ movie.”

 

Alex didn’t even bother coming up with a comment.

 

-

 

Kara was running late. 

 

She’d gotten into a super scuffle just a couple of minutes before she was supposed to be at the restaurant and she couldn’t just ignore the giant red creature trying to eat the giant purple man. 

 

Once she’d settled their dispute - a few hearty punches had brought them both back to their senses - it had already been five minutes past seven.

 

Not good.

 

It took her another minute to fly the rest of the way to the restaurant and then a couple of very precious seconds to get her hair back into its perfectly braided form. 

 

And then, in the end, she’d almost forgotten to put her glasses back on.

 

She really needed to get a grip on herself tonight.

 

“ _ Wildcats _ ,” Kara whispered to herself, “get your head in the game.”

 

Shaking out her shoulders, Kara pushed open the door to the restaurant and took a deep breath. She was going to do this and she was going to do it now. It had been months since she and James had sort of broken up, and Kara was more than ready to try something else. 

 

And just because this would be Kara’s first date with a woman didn’t mean she had to be nervous, right?

 

Right.

 

Her eyes swept the room, looking for that… a-ha!

 

There it was, the red rose.

 

Excitement bubbling like fire in her chest, Kara clutched her purse tightly to herself as she made her way over to the person she’d been set up with. They were sitting with their back to Kara, but she could already tell that they had brown hair.

 

In fact, the shade sort of reminded Kara of Alex.

 

“Hey!” Kara called out perhaps a little too enthusiastically, as the woman jumped and banged her knee against the table as she got to her feet. A second later, Kara’s excited smile turned into one of confusion as… Alex turned towards her, the red rose held tightly in between both hands.

 

“Kara?” Alex asked, the confusion plain as day on her own face. “What are you doing here?”

 

Furrowing her brows, Kara took in Alex’s nice appearance and the slight waviness of her curled hair. She looked unfathomably gorgeous, and it was pretty clear that she’d been expecting a date.

 

And Kara… well, Kara had been looking for  _ her  _ date, too.

 

Her date, who was supposed to carry a red rose.

 

Kneading her purse so hard she almost ripped it to shreds, Kara moved around Alex and towards the empty seat in front of her. 

 

“I’m supposed to be on a blind date,” she said, placing her hand on the back of the chair and pulling it out for herself. “With a woman who’s holding a red rose.” She nodded at the rose. “I mean… that’s you, right?”

 

The whole thing was weird.

 

It got even weirder when Alex blushed and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. 

 

She only ever did that when she was nervous.

 

Alex had hardly ever been nervous around Kara.

 

“Um,” Alex replied, looking around the restaurant, as though hoping to spot someone else who was holding a red rose. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a date?” Kara asked, sitting down on the chair and looking up at Alex, who was still staring around at the other people in the room. Kara wasn’t sure if she was disappointed, exactly. 

 

Spending an evening out with Alex was fun, she just wished she could have had the full  _ date with a woman _ experience…

 

“You didn’t tell  _ me  _ you had a date,” Alex retorted, before sitting down on her chair and putting the red rose back into her purse. It was obvious she’d been self-conscious about carrying it around in the first place. “I’m going to kill Lucy.”

 

Kara furrowed her brows.

 

“Lucy set you up on this date?” she asked, picking up the drinks menu, silently asking herself if this place served any kind of alcohol that would affect her Kryptonian body. Probably not. They should’ve gone to the alien bar together. 

 

“Yeah,” Alex grumbled back, picking up her own drinks menu. “I’m guessing she set you up, too? I bet she’s having a good old laugh at us now.” 

 

Shaking her head, Kara fiddled with her menu.

 

“Actually, Maggie’s the one who set me up with this date,” she confessed, looking up at Alex over the rim of her glasses. She wasn’t sure just how  _ over  _ Maggie Alex truly was. Her big sister didn’t particularly enjoy discussing the topic of her ‘failed love life’.

 

Alex’s words, not Kara’s.

 

“Why would  _ Maggie  _ set you up on a date?” Alex’s facial expression was so affronted that Kara almost giggled. 

 

Before she could reply, a waiter swept in to take their drink orders, and Kara was momentarily distracted by the way Alex’s hair moved when she looked up to talk to the man. 

 

When he was gone, Alex turned her attention back to Kara, who blushed at being caught staring.

 

“Right, where were we,” Alex said, her expression one of suspicion as she regarded Kara intently. “Why is Maggie hooking you up with anybody? I didn’t get the impression that you like her very much.”

 

Which was perfectly justified, Kara thought, considering how Maggie had broken Alex’s heart.

 

But, then again…

 

“I don’t know any other lesbians,” Kara whispered as she leaned forward. “Aside from you. And you don’t know any lesbians, either.” Furrowing her brows, Kara scuffed her heels on the floor. “That I know of. And asking my sister to set me up with one of her friends is just… weird.”

 

Alex’s facial expression was pretty priceless.

 

“I didn’t even know you were into women, too,” Alex whispered back, her cheeks taking on an even deeper shade of red. The color looked good on her, Kara thought, and she wondered how she’d never noticed that before. 

 

“It’s been kind of a new development for me,” Kara said quietly, looking down and gnarling her hands together in her lap. “This was supposed to be my very first date with a woman…” 

 

Alright, so she  _ was  _ pretty disappointed.

 

Kara had been vibrating with nervous excitement all day to finally find out what it was like to make conversation with a woman for the express purpose of going out with her. And yeah fine, maybe Kara had walked into this whole dating women thing wearing rose-colored glasses… but women were  _ great _ .

 

Women were amazing.

 

If Alex wasn’t her sister… 

 

Kara stopped herself.

 

Alex  _ was  _ her sister.

 

“I’m sorry it turned out to just be me,” Alex apologized, looking genuinely stricken on Kara’s behalf. “I get why you didn’t tell me. It took me a while, too.” She reached out with her hand, smiling gently until Kara took it. Then, a look of determination crossed her features. “I have an idea.”

 

Squeezing Alex’s fingers, Kara straightened out her shoulders. She could work with a plan. 

 

“Shoot.” 

 

Nodding, Alex leaned a little further in.

 

“I was thinking that this might actually be a really good thing,” she said, smiling widely as she saw Kara’s confused expression. “No, seriously, hear me out. We could sort of use this as a trial run, to see how well we’d do on an actual date.”

 

Kara wasn’t following, and Alex could definitely tell.

 

“How about we pretend that we’re really on a blind date,” Alex continued, letting go of Kara’s hand and folding her arms on top of the table. “I don’t know you’re a superhero from another planet and you don’t know I work for the DEO. We’re just two people who were set up by our friends because they think we would be compatible.”

 

“ _ Oh _ ,” Kara replied, a sudden smile breaking out over her face. “You want us to role-play. I just don’t know if our relationship is at that stage yet, Alex.” 

 

Her sass earned her a swift kick to the shin that she barely even registered.

 

“I’m serious, Kara. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do at one of these dates. Help me out here.” Alex wasn’t big into pouting, but her puppy dog eyes worked wonders on Kara. Every damn time. 

 

Rao, but she was weak.

 

“Okay, okay, fine,” Kara acquiesced, lifting both hands in surrender. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try this out.” She fixed her glasses and closed her eyes to get into character. Not acting like Alex had hung the sun and the moon specifically for her was going to be tough. 

 

When she opened her eyes again, Alex was looking at her fondly.

 

“Hi,” Kara said, trying to imagine that Alex was just a beautiful woman that Kara was having a date with. 

 

Now that she thought about it, going on a date with Alex in a world where they didn’t know each other would actually be terrifying, considering how devastatingly gorgeous her sister was. And how beautifully her nose crinkled when she smiled… and how her eyes glittered when she looked at you…

 

“Hi,” Alex replied, stretching out her hand, “I’m Alex Danvers.”

 

Kara grinned.

 

“That’s a funny coincidence,” she said, grasping Alex’s fingers firmly with her own. “My name is Danvers, too. Kara Danvers.” They were really going to do this. They were going to pretend that they didn’t know each other.

 

“Really?” Alex asked, pulling back her hand and playing with the menu in between her fingers. “Guess that means we can skip the whole debate about whose last name we’re going to pick once we get married.”

 

Her words made Kara burst out laughing.

 

“You’re being awfully forward, Alex. We’ve just met.” She pulled her braid out from behind her shoulder and played with the end of it. 

 

Alex shrugged.

 

“For some reason, I just get the feeling we’re going to click,” she said teasingly. The smile on her face was happy and relaxed, and Kara leaned back in her chair to take in the moment. 

  
“Yeah,” Kara replied, a feeling of warmth spreading through her entire body. “I think so, too.”

 

-

 

“He did not!” Kara called out, her hand squeezing Alex’s leather jacket as they made their way along the dark streets of National City.

 

Alex was walking her home after their  _ date _ and Kara had a feeling she was just a little bit too comfortable in this role she was playing. 

 

After dinner, they’d moved on to Kara’s favorite ice cream shop, which sold ice cream at all hours of the day - perfect for a constantly ice-cream-craving superhero out on patrol at three in the morning. 

 

After ice cream, they’d slowly made their way over to one of the parks in the area. While Kara happily munched on her three scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Alex had started telling her about some of her escapades in college.

 

They’d been laughing and joking and there’d been some stories that Alex had never told her before.

 

Now, hours later, Kara wondered why she felt so heavy inside about the prospect of their time together coming to an end. It wasn’t like she’d never get to see Alex again. They had made plans to hang out tomorrow days ago. 

 

And yet…

 

“He did! He walked right into the cake!” Alex said, her hand holding on tightly to Kara’s and swinging it slowly back and forth in between their bodies. “I just  _ bailed _ . I didn’t even wait for him to get back out again. I’ve never seen anyone that drunk.”

 

As Kara’s apartment building came into view, Kara wished they didn’t have to say goodbye.

 

“Do you want to come up for a cup of coffee or something?” she asked, biting her bottom lip as she walked slowly up to her front door, Alex still holding onto her hand. “I really like talking to you.”

 

Alex’s smile was teasing.

 

“Kara, are you propositioning me on our first date? I’m scandalized.” She placed her hands on her hips as Kara fiddled with her keys, blushing furiously.

 

How would they even end this? 

 

Would Kara just stop pretending and would Alex come up anyway? The thought of liking Alex in that way had never even crossed Kara’s mind, but this had undoubtedly been the best first date she’d ever had with anyone.

 

“Anyway, I should probably go,” Alex said, smiling as she slipped her hands into the back pockets of her dark chinos. “I had a really good time, and I’m definitely going to call you.” Was there a blush on Alex’s cheeks as well?

 

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Kara asked breathlessly, biting her bottom lip while she tried not to pulverize the trinkets in her hands. When Alex furrowed her brows, Kara dropped her keychain and placed her hands on Alex’s shoulders. “First dates usually end with a kiss.”

 

Visibly gulping, Alex’s cheeks definitely took on a redder hue.

 

“Kara…” she whispered, her eyes flitting to Kara’s mouth. 

 

“I had a really good time tonight, too,” Kara whispered, her heart pounding in her chest as she slowly started leaning down, her eyes half-lidded. 

 

When she was at the halfway point, she closed her eyes.

 

Whether or not this was going to be a one-time thing was up to Alex now. And if Alex wanted to call her weird and strange and wrong for feeling something for her foster sister, then they would deal with that, the way they dealt with everything else.

 

Or maybe Kara would wake up tomorrow and realize it had been a fluke.

 

Either way…

 

Kara’s thoughts trailed off as she felt the soft press of lips against her own. 

 

Alex was warm and she smelled like the nice perfume she only used when she wanted to make a good impression. Her hands were gentle as she cupped Kara’s cheeks and her lips moved with a sensual rhythm Kara felt almost too shaky to keep up with.

 

There were fireworks, and Kara’s nose brushed softly against Alex’s when she moved her head.

 

Breathing shallowly, Kara swallowed hard when they finally pulled away.

 

“Wow,” she stuttered, hands holding on tightly to Alex’s shoulders to keep her from moving away. “You are really good at that. Really good.” She licked her lips. Her entire body seemed to be buzzing with electricity. 

 

She wanted to kiss Alex again, she realized, but before she could make a move to do so, Alex placed a small peck on her cheek. She seemed just as dazed as Kara.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, walking backwards, her hand grabbing Kara’s. “I promise we’ll talk about this. I think I just need to go home and freak out about it for a while. Loudly. With a bottle of whiskey.”

 

Even though Alex was trying to be funny, Kara could tell that her sister meant every word.

 

“If you freak out too much, promise you’ll call me?” Kara asked, squeezing Alex’s fingers.

 

“I promise.”

 

-

 

Twenty minutes later, Kara was sitting at the counter of the alien bar, slurping an alcoholic drink that she knew wouldn’t get her drunk. She didn’t want to be drunk; she just wanted to have her own personal little freak out.

 

Kara didn’t do well with the silence of her apartment sometimes.

 

Mon-El was sitting next to her, but he hadn’t tried to talk to her. By now he knew her well enough to see when she needed the comfort and when she just needed silent support. 

 

And he’d even paid for the drink she’d been nursing for the last ten minutes.

 

She’d been just about to let her forehead hit the counter, when a voice behind her made her look up.

 

“Danvers, where the hell were you tonight?” 

 

Turning around, Kara spotted Maggie walking towards her, a pool cue clutched in her right hand. She was wearing her regular black leather jacket and a fierce expression of exasperation.

 

“Hannah said you never showed up,” Maggie continued, using the pool cue to poke Kara’s back.

 

“Hannah?” Kara asked, furrowing her brows.

 

“My friend. The one I wanted to set you up with,” Maggie said, slapping Kara’s shoulder with her free hand. “She waited for half an hour. She was really excited to meet you after I talked you up.”

 

Blinking, Kara ignored Mon-El, who was sniggering into his drink.

 

“No, I- I was there, I thought--” Kara shook her head. The whole thing had been a ploy by Maggie and Lucy, right? To have a laugh at Kara’s and Alex’s expense…? Hadn’t it? “I was at the restaurant. I’m sorry, I-- didn’t you and Lucy plan this?”

 

Maggie narrowed her eyes.

 

“Your friend Lucy? Why would I ask her about your blind date with my friend? I was doing you a solid, Danvers.” She crossed her arms over her chest, the pool cue held loosely in her hand. “You owe me one.”

 

Nodding dumbly, Kara watched as Maggie walked back over to the pool table.

 

“That went well,” Mon-El teased her, earning himself a whack upside the head.

 

“Shut up,” Kara said, grabbing her drink and continuing to sip.

 

She should probably call Lucy to confirm whether or not  _ she’d  _ been the one responsible for sending Alex to the exact same restaurant on purpose that Kara had been supposed to meet  _ Hannah _ .

 

But right now, as she thought back to that amazing kiss and the wonderful conversation that had preceded it… she just couldn’t find it within herself to care.

 

She’d just deal with it tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sneaky lucy
> 
> hope you enjoyed! thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing this for me :))
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	4. when the stars come falling down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Stars/Stargazing" [Kara x Alex; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara wishes she could see Krypton from Earth."

“I wish I could see Krypton from here,” Kara murmured, her hands folded over her stomach. “Or, could have seen Krypton. Since it’s no longer there.” Saying the words didn’t bring tears to Kara’s eyes anymore, but she still felt that pang of longing.

 

Krypton was gone.

 

Krypton would always be gone.

 

“I wish I could have seen it for real,” Alex whispered back, her hands placed under her head as she looked up at the stars. “The holograms at the Fortress are great, but it’s just not the same.”

 

Humming, Kara shuffled closer to Alex so her head was touching her sister’s side.

 

“You saw it when you came to rescue me from the Black Mercy,” Kara pointed out, making a pleased little noise when Alex curled her right arm around Kara’s body to hold her close. 

 

“Yeah, but I was kind of busy,” Alex replied, her hand softly stroking up and down Kara’s arm. “Too busy saving the imperiled damsel in distress from the big bad memory monster.” 

 

They could joke about it, now that months lay between them and the pain.

 

Now that Kara didn’t see her mother and father every time she closed her eyes.

 

“I still can’t believe your perfect world didn’t even include your perfect sister,” Alex teased, rolling onto her side and digging her fingers into Kara’s sides, even though she knew Kara had never been ticklish in her life. “That Black Mercy obviously had no idea what it was talking about.”

 

Giggling at Alex’s attempts to tickle her, Kara retaliated by wrestling Alex down onto the ground and blowing a raspberry on her cheek, which earned her an immediate knee to the gut.

 

Predictably, it was Alex who grunted in pain at the feeling of ramming her soft tissue against solid steel.

 

“You’re a big bully, Supergirl,” she groaned, slumping down onto the ground and ceasing her struggling. Kara’s hands had her wrists pinned next to her head. “Just wait until I tell all the tabloids that Supergirl tried to infect me with her gross, alien saliva.”

 

Giggling anew, Kara let go of Alex’s arms and lay down on her big sister’s chest.

 

“Cadmus would have a field day with that,” Kara mumbled, closing her eyes and focusing her senses on Alex’s steadily beating heart. Letting the rhythm and the sound wash over her and eclipse every other feeling. “Even Supergirl’s spit is the devil incarnate itself.”

 

Chuckling - her chest moving Kara up and down - Alex wrapped both arms around her sister.

 

“Maybe we should tell them that your spit is venomous or acidic,” she thought out loud, sliding her hands under Kara’s cape. Her words made Kara grin and nuzzle Alex’s sternum with her cheek.

 

“That would be great.”

 

-

 

Staring up at the stars from her position on Alex’s chest, Kara tried to take in everything about their time together. 

 

Over the last few weeks, they’d spent precious little time together, and the strain showed in Kara’s mental stability. She needed her sister to make sense of her life and all the things that were trying to confuse her.

 

With Mon-El constantly getting into some sort of trouble, Kara had been so busy at the DEO, she’d hardly even noticed that Alex was going through an identity crisis about her sexuality. 

 

Kara hated how complacent she’d become around Alex. 

 

She’d taken her sister for granted, and had expected that Alex would always be there for her, while not giving Alex the same treatment. Everything revolved around Kara. Kara’s powers, Kara’s problems, Kara’s cousin, Kara’s distant relative from Daxam.

 

But no more.

 

“What do you think your Black Mercy fantasy would be like? Right now?” Kara wondered, shifting closer so she could slide her right leg onto Alex’s. The blanket they were sharing was soft, but Kara was seeking reassurance. “I don’t think mine would be the same.”

 

Humming in thought, Alex pressed a kiss against the crown of Kara’s head.

 

“I don’t know,” she replied, obviously deep in thought. “I hadn’t thought about it. With everything that happened afterwards and with Astra almost dying… I was sort of glad when I didn’t have to think about any of it anymore, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Kara’s nose twitched as the wind shifted and brought new smells towards the small hill they were resting on. They were surrounded by endless wheat fields, and it had taken Kara quite a few minutes to find this spot. 

 

National City was lost somewhere behind them. 

 

“My dad would be there, though…” Alex confided, a heavy tone of longing coloring her words. “And mom would be proud of me. Really proud. With no caveats.” 

 

In the quiet of the night, with no one but the two of them around for miles, the words they spoke seemed safe, almost sacred. Just one more reason Kara was so glad she’d kidnapped Alex out of her lonely apartment with nothing but a blanket and some emergency water - in case Alex got thirsty.

 

“I’m really proud of you,” Kara whispered, hugging Alex closer and pressing her ear harder against her big sister’s sternum. 

 

She listened as Alex’s heartbeat increased and her hold on Kara tightened almost imperceptibly.

 

“Thanks,” Alex murmured back, pressing another, longer kiss against Kara’s hair.

 

“I bet you’d be the director of the DEO in your fantasy. Or the president,” Kara mused, lifting her head and brushing her nose against Alex’s chin. “Something where you have  _ all  _ the power.”

 

Chuckling, Alex shook her head in amusement.

 

“I already have all the power,” she teased, using Kara’s relaxation to roll them both over. “I control Supergirl. How much more power do you think I need?” She wiggled her eyebrows, and Kara pushed her hand against Alex’s face.

 

“You control Supergirl, do you?” She smiled brightly when Alex tried to move her hand away to no avail, before Alex was finally forced to roll onto her back once more. “I think Supergirl would disagree with you.”

 

Alex’s pout was adorable.

 

“You’re very rude,” she complained, wiping her face with her sleeve. “You’re definitely  _ not  _ going to be in my next Black Mercy fantasy.” 

 

With another kiss to Alex’s cheek, Kara laid back down on Alex’s chest.

 

“I would raze the world to the ground for you,” Kara whispered, closing her eyes and opening up her senses to nothing but Alex. “If you asked me to, I would move mountains. I would push the moon out of orbit.”

 

Alex’s chuckle was achingly gentle.

 

“No you wouldn’t,” she stated.

 

“Would, too,” Kara said defiantly, leaning up and pouting at her big sister.

 

Shaking her head, Alex leaned forward to nuzzle Kara’s cheek with her nose.

 

“Whatever you say,” she agreed, clearly not believing a word that Kara was saying. 

 

Her pout growing even bigger, Kara returned her head to Alex’s chest and huffed.

 

“Fine, I probably wouldn’t set the  _ whole  _ world on fire. I’m way too mature and controlled for that.” Kara snuggled further into Alex’s arms, protectively draping her cape over both of them. “But I would totally want to, though.” 

 

“That’s good enough for me,” Alex replied, her fingers drawings shapes and letters into Kara’s back. “Since you’re so mature and controlled, that really means a lot.” 

 

Her words were teasing, but Kara didn’t let them rile her up again.

 

She wouldn’t give Alex the satisfaction.

 

-

 

“I think we should go home,” Alex suggested, moving her hands to poke Kara. “All of my limbs are asleep from carrying your weight for so long.” She wiggled around under Kara, who protested silently by going completely boneless.

 

“You’ve been carrying my weight around since we were teens. Get used to it already,” Kara teased, moving her head around so she could breathe loudly and obnoxiously onto Alex’s throat with her mouth. 

 

“I’m never going anywhere with you ever again,” Alex grumbled, trying to slide out from under Kara’s koala-like grip. 

 

“Even more reason to stay.” Kara’s grin was wide when Alex finally managed to move herself into a sitting position. Before Alex could protest, Kara had both arms wrapped around her neck. “We don’t get to see the stars like this in National City.”

 

While Kara pouted, Alex shook out her arms.

 

“I know a way for you to see the stars,” she complained, trying to move her legs to no avail. “How about you fly above the clouds. That way, you can look at the stars and I get to spend the rest of my very short night in a comfortable bed.”

 

Bottom lip wobbling, Kara cupped both of Alex’s cheeks to get her to focus on what was truly important. Kara’s incredible kicked puppy performance. 

 

“You can sleep here,” Kara whined, leaving kisses all over Alex’s forehead. “I’ll keep you warm.”

 

Sighing, Alex wrapped her hands around Kara’s wrists.

 

“We can spend the rest of  _ our  _ night together in my bed,” Alex offered instead, holding up her hand when Kara opened her mouth to protest. “And we can come back tomorrow night to do some more stargazing. I’ll even bring my dad’s old telescope.”

 

Pondering which would be better - teasing Alex some more or cuddling with her under a soft, comfy pile of blankets - Kara drummed her fingers against her sister’s cheeks. Maybe she was pushing the whole teasing just a little too far.

 

She didn’t want to put Alex off the whole stargazing thing altogether (Kara missed these sessions from when they were kids) and she had promised herself to be more aware of Alex’s wants and needs.

 

“I might be amenable to your request,” Kara said slowly, drawing out the words with an intentionally thoughtful undertone. “If you make me your very special pancakes in the morning  _ and  _ you let me paint your back.”

 

Looking like she was about to explode, Alex took a very slow and deliberate breath.

 

“Those are two very big asks, Madam Supergirl,” she said, her hands settling on Kara’s waist instead. “Could I interest you in a less detrimental offering?” 

 

With a sigh, Kara waved around one of her hands, silently telling Alex to continue.

 

“How about I make you the regular pancakes,” she said, gently squeezing Kara’s muscles. “And you get to paint my chest instead.”

 

The wiggling eyebrows were the cherry on the cake, and Kara burst out laughing.

 

“You drive a  _ very _ hard bargain, doctor,” Kara replied, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on the side of Alex’s mouth. “I think I’m going to fly you home for that comment alone.” She brushed their noses together. 

 

“That sounds like a plan.” Alex grinned, slowly pushing herself up to her feet while Kara floated off of her.

 

In the light of the moon, Kara watched as Alex rolled up the blanket and handed it over.

 

Floating in front of her sister, Kara swept down softly.

 

“One day, I’m going to hold you to that offer,” she husked, lips almost brushing Alex’s half-open mouth. 

 

The gentle smile on Alex’s face was hardly a surprise.

  
“One day,” she murmured back, leaning up and wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck, pressing their foreheads together as they flew up into the sky together; with Kara’s arms wrapped securely around Alex’s back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what sweethearts, right? 
> 
> hope you had a good time! thanks to beagles for checking this for me :)
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	5. it's a kind of magic [Part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt/Word: "Magic" [Kara x Alex; Mild angst, mostly fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Magic seems to be at the root of a bank robbery in National City and Alex gets the shock of her life."

“Magic isn’t real,” Alex grumbled as she dragged the perp she’d caught after herself. “And it’s not going to get you out of trouble with the DEO.” She pulled harder on his arm when he tried to break free of her grip.

 

“I’m telling you,” he said, his blue face stricken with terror. “I didn’t want to do this! She made me!” He tried to pull away once more, and Alex pulled her gun on him.

 

It didn’t matter that she was bluffing and that she would never shoot a perp simply for resisting, because he immediately went still and lifted up his cuffed hands in surrender.

 

“Fine, you can take me in,” he said, his third eyelid closing rapidly from the stress. “But you have to believe me. I didn’t want to rob that bank. She ambushed me outside of my apartment. I’m a lawyer, I don’t need all of that money.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex pulled the man towards the DEO van she’d left around the corner.

 

“You can tell that to your cell buddies,” she growled, growing impatient with his constant stream of denial. She knew for a fact that magic wasn’t real, because if it were, she would have seen it by now. She worked for the DEO. There was nothing weird and unexplained that Alex hadn’t seen.

 

-

 

“He said he was coerced into committing the robbery,” Alex said during lunch, opening up the Tupperware box that Kara had handed her on her way out to work. J’onn was sitting opposite her, while Vasquez was playing around on their phone.

 

“Well, did he say who was to blame?” J’onn replied, before biting into his tomato and mozzarella sandwich.

 

Just as Alex opened her mouth to answer, Mon-El and Kara walked in, laughing together. Kara’s hand settled on his bicep and he wiggled his eyebrows, which pushed Kara into a fresh bout of giggles.

 

Alex almost threw up the cherry tomato she’d just eaten.

 

Kara didn’t even seem to notice her, either. She just sat down on one of the other benches in the cafeteria - Mon-El across from her - and opened up her lunch bag. Then (to Alex’s utter shock), she handed over half of her sandwich.

 

Blinking, Alex stared at the gesture.

 

Kara didn’t share food. Ever.

 

“Alex?” J’onn asked, softly nudging her shin under the table. “The perp?”

 

Pulling her eyes away, Alex tried for a smile.

 

“Sorry,” she said, putting down the cheese sandwich she’d just picked up. Suddenly, she didn’t have an appetite anymore. “Yeah, the guy said someone had cast a spell on him. That the woman who did it had just shown up in front of his apartment when he’d come home after work.”

 

Trying to ignore the sound of Kara’s beautiful laughter, Alex picked up her water bottle.

 

“Here you go,” Vasquez said, moving over their yoghurt. They’d clearly noticed Alex’s discomfort at the prospect of Kara and Mon-El starting anything romantic. “Yoghurt is great when you can’t stomach anything else.”

 

Grinding her teeth, Alex accepted the offering before pushing over her lunch box so Vasquez could have some of her cherry tomatoes.

 

Thankfully, J’onn didn’t comment on the display.

 

“He said someone cast a spell on him? Did he know the woman?” J’onn replied, a thoughtful expression coming over his face. “Did he describe her in any way?” He silently moved his own yoghurt over to Alex.

 

Alex was more than a little touched by her friends’ support.

 

Too bad Vasquez couldn’t be around all the time, considering how much they were needed at the desert base now that Alex and J’onn had left.

 

“You don’t actually believe him, do you? I mean yeah, it’s worth checking into if the woman threatened him with something else in some way, but there’s no way magic exists. If it did, we would have come across it at some point,” Alex said, picking up Vasquez’s yoghurt and ripping it open. It was the kind with the fruit on the bottom.

 

J’onn raised one of eyebrows.

 

“Like right now?” he asked pointedly, lowering his sandwich and giving her a thoughtful look. “Besides, I’ve seen plenty of magic in my three-hundred years. Some real, some staged.” He shook his head. “But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone with a true magical ability in this area.”

 

Blinking, Alex left her spoon hovering halfway to her mouth.

 

“You’re saying magic is real?” she tried to clarify, trying to decide whether or not J’onn was pulling her leg. It was hard to tell with him; he had an excellent poker face. “Magic is real. As in the _Harry Potter_ , _Wizards of Waverly Place_ , _Sabrina the Teenage Witch_ kind of magic.”

 

J’onn’s smile was teasing.

 

“Not exactly like that, no,” he replied, his expression more than a little amused at her astonishment. “I am fairly certain that there is no Hogwarts.”

 

“Not in this universe, anyway,” Vasquez mumbled, seemingly taking these news much better than Alex was. “Who knows if Rowling got the idea for _Harry Potter_ because she caught glimpses of a different universe! Think about it.”

 

Alex lifted both hands.

 

“Not important right now,” she said, waving away Vasquez’s thoughts about interdimensional book ideas. “The important thing is that there is magic in our world that is real. Why did you never tell me that?”

 

J’onn shrugged.

 

“You never asked,” he said calmly, before he bit into the sandwich in his hands once more. He chewed for a couple of seconds, then swallowed. “But the only woman I know who could possibly be responsible for any magic-related problems in the area is someone by the name of Zatanna. Only thing is, she’s not the type to rob banks.”

 

Humming, Alex finally brought the spoon to her mouth. Before she could eat her yogurt however, Kara’s loud snort of laughter made Alex jump so hard that she smacked herself in the chin with the spoon instead.

 

“Damn it,” Alex cursed, wiping at herself with her hand, which only made it worse.

 

Sighing, J’onn held out his napkin.

 

-

 

“I hear you’re going on an adventure,” Kara said brightly as she caught Alex in the lab, working on one of her less important projects. “Mon-El told me that some of the agents have been talking about you going to meet an actual enchantress.”

 

At the mention of Mon-El’s name, Alex rolled her eyes.

 

Thankfully, she had her back to Kara.

 

“Did he now,” Alex replied tiredly, using her delicate equipment to work out if there could be any other special uses for blue kryptonite in the future.

 

“He did,” Kara said cheerfully, planting her butt on the desk next to Alex’s left arm. “How come you didn’t tell me? I want to come with you.” She poked Alex’s shoulder until Alex looked up from her work.

 

“You were busy training.” _With Mon-El_ , is what Alex didn’t say.

 

“Oh, yeah.” Kara rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry. I guess Mon-El must have heard about it when you he went downstairs to get us a snack.” Her smile was happy and carefree and it made Alex unimaginably jealous.

 

She remembered the days when she’d been the only one who could make Kara smile like that.

 

“Great,” Alex said, going back to her work.

 

For a second, neither one of them said anything, while Kara let her legs dangle back and forth and Alex worked on the blue kryptonite. It wasn’t a companionable silence by any stretch of the imagination. At least not for Alex.

 

“ _So_ ,” Kara finally said, moving her hands in front of her body and slapping them on her thighs. “When are we going to go and see this enchantress? Do we know who she is? And _where_ she is? ‘Cause I can totally go on a scouting mission or something, if we need more intel. I’m sure Mon-El would love to get out of the DEO, too.”

 

Grinding her teeth, Alex tried not to snap at her sister.

 

“We already know who she is. Her name is Zatanna Zatara and J’onn got into contact with her through Clark about an hour ago,” Alex replied, practicing the breathing exercises one of her best friends in college had shown her.

 

Back when Alex had been pretending (even to herself) that she definitely wasn’t in love with her female best friends.

 

Kara’s smile slipped a bit.

 

“You talked to Clark? And he actually knows her?” It was clear that Kara was hurt that her cousin had never mentioned this to her. There were so many things that Clark had never bothered to reveal, and in her weaker moments, Alex hated him for how he made Kara feel.

 

“Yeah,” Alex replied, looking away from the blue kryptonite again and sliding up the goggles she’d been using to protect her eyes. “He apparently helped her out a couple of years ago after she caused a bit of havoc in Metropolis.”

 

Nodding dejectedly, Kara stopped her excited wiggling.

 

“Oh, that’s good to know,” she said, clearly more than upset now. “When are you leaving to meet with her?” Before Alex could even say a word, Kara shook her head. “You know what, I don’t think you need me on this one. If she’s really as nice as you say, I’m sure you can handle her by yourself.”

 

Sighing, Alex pushed herself to her feet.

 

“Kara…” she said gently, reaching out and squeezing her sister’s bicep. “I’m sorry.”

 

With a pained smile, Kara jumped up from the table.

 

“No, it’s okay,” Kara murmured, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not your fault Clark’s really busy.” Her bottom lip wobbled and Alex reached out to take her into her arms. Kara took a step back before Alex could reach her. “I’m going to go and find Mon-El. I need someone to kick.”

 

After another sad look, Kara quickly stalked out of the lab while Alex looked on in worry.

 

She couldn’t even feel jealous. Not while Kara was hurting.

 

-

 

“So this chick can use real magic?” Maggie asked casually as she and Alex made their way into the expensive looking hotel in front of them, followed by two other agents. “That is actually fascinating. I’m glad you called, Danvers.”

 

They were still on somewhat shaky ground after Maggie had turned down Alex’s advances. All of that after Alex had finally found someone whom she thought she could love as much as Kara.

 

“I figured someone from the force should be aware of what’s going on here, and you’re the only cop I can really trust not to be biased just because the perp’s an alien,” Alex replied, stuffing her hands into her black leather jacket.

 

She’d changed out of her tactical gear for this meeting - as had the two other agents - because Alex didn’t want Zatanna to feel like they were threatening her. Alex had no idea how deadly the whole magic thing would be, but she had a healthy level of respect for it already.

 

“Good call,” Maggie said, poking Alex’s arm with her elbow. “And now I get to meet a real life witch. Today’s a good day.” The dimples in her cheeks still made Alex’s heart race, but she pushed the feeling down.

 

She didn’t need to think about that when she was about to meet with a supposedly friendly but potentially dangerous woman.

 

Once they were all in the elevator, Alex relayed what information J’onn had been able to give her. Zatanna was in town for an auction, which apparently included a very important magical artefact that had once belonged to her father and had been stolen many years ago. She’d also booked one of the most expensive suites available.

 

“I can’t wait,” Maggie said excitedly, placing her arms on her waist and shaking out her shoulders. “This is a moment I’ve been hoping for since I was a little kid. I was big into the whole _Dungeons and Dragons_ thing, and I was always the mage.”

 

Trying to stifle her snicker, Alex knocked on the door to the suite.

 

It swung open to reveal a woman with long black hair. She was wearing tight, black pants, a white blouse and an expensive looking black blazer. Her smile was almost predatory in nature as she took in Alex.

 

“Well, hello there,” she said, reaching out with her hand. “I’m Zatanna. You must be Agent Danvers? Mr. J’onzz told me you’d be coming.” Her eyes raked over Alex with an obvious look of approval.

 

Clearing her throat, Alex shook the other woman’s hand.

 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Zatara,” she said, gesturing to the other people behind herself. “This is Detective Sawyer and Agents Smith and Lawrence.”

 

The two agents nodded to Zatanna, while Maggie gave her a bright smile.

 

“It’s very nice to meet you all,” Zatanna said, letting go of Alex’s hand and stepping aside so everyone could enter the living room of her suite. “Please, do sit down on the couch. Would you like something to drink while we discuss whatever it is you’d like to know?”

 

“Nothing for me, thank you,” Alex replied, sitting down on one of the white couches while the other two agents stayed standing. Maggie sat down next to Alex, looking around the suite with interest.

 

When Zatanna held up a bottle of water, the other two agents shook their heads and Maggie waved her off with a grin.

 

“Alright,” Zatanna said, grabbing a glass. “Just me, then.”

 

-

 

“I hear there’s been an incident with magic concerning a bank robbery,” Zatanna said, slowly sipping her water as she eyed Alex with interest. “And you need some assistance, because you don’t know who might be responsible.”

 

Her hands placed on her thighs, Alex leaned forward slightly.

 

“We were hoping that you could shed some insight into who might be active in the local magic scene. I know you don’t normally live here, but maybe you could give us some leads on how to find clues as to who is responsible.” Fact of the matter was, Alex had no idea if there was any way to track magic the same way you could track kryptonite particles and radiation. But it was worth a try.

 

“I might have some ideas for you,” Zatanna replied, a friendly smile spreading over her cheeks.

 

Alex returned it in full.

 

-

 

“Thank you again for all of your help,” Alex said, reaching out with her hand so she could shake Zatanna’s before she left. “You’ve basically solved this case for us single-handedly.” Alex had never had a case this easy before.

 

Zatanna winked.

 

“Actually, Agent Danvers, there’s just one more thing,” she said, giving the other agents and Maggie a smile as she pulled Alex off to the side so they wouldn’t hear the tail end of her words. “I couldn’t help but notice that there’s something you want.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“What do you mean?” she asked, sweat gathering at the small of her back. There were plenty of things that Alex wanted, but she’d never spoken any of them out loud to anyone. Certainly not to this woman.

 

“Agent Danvers,” she said reproachfully, gently shaking her head, “you don’t have to worry about little old me. I won’t tell anyone.” She took Alex’s hand and slid her thumb across the palm. “I would like to do something for you. It’s been a while since I got to use my magic to help out someone from the DEO. It’s always fun.”

 

Alex looked down at her hand. It was growing warm where Zatanna had run her thumb across it.

 

“I want to grant you a wish, if you like,” Zatanna whispered, placing her own palm over Alex’s. “Anything you want.”

 

The first thing that came to mind… was Kara’s face.

 

She pushed the thought away.

 

“I’m fine, but thank you for the offer,” she replied, pulling back her hand and surreptitiously rubbing it on her pants. It was still unnaturally warm. Sort of like Kara’s Kryptonian skin. “We’ll let you know if we need any more of your help.

 

Zatanna winked.

 

“Of course. You’re most welcome.”

 

With a kiss on the cheek, she let Alex go.

 

-

 

When Alex woke up the next morning in her bed, the first thing she noticed was that she felt bulkier than she had the night before. She also felt strangely heavy as she pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her hand over her face.

 

It took her a couple of seconds to realize that her face felt weird, too.

 

And her hands.

 

And there was a pressure at the very base of her stomach that she’d never felt before.

 

This was what she got for drinking half a bottle of whiskey to get herself to fall asleep. She’d been looking forward to sister night with Kara, only to be told that Mon-El had scored tickets to some sort of monster truck rally that Kara really wanted to go to.

 

Kara hated monster trucks.

 

Alex grumbled as she pushed herself out of bed. Her pajama pants and tank top felt unnaturally tight on her and she slapped her cheeks a few times as she made her way into the bathroom. No more alcohol for the rest of the week.

 

When she finally stopped in front of the mirror and opened her eyes again, she screamed.

 

-

 

“Danvers? Danvers, are you in there?”

 

Alex was sitting behind her couch, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head pushed against her knees so she didn’t have to see anything. Especially herself.

 

“Danvers? Come on, open up.”

 

Whimpering, Alex lifted her head.

 

“Go away, Maggie!” she called out, wincing when she heard the weird new pitch in her voice. God but this was fucking weird and awful. What the hell was she supposed to do? What had happened? _How_ had this happened?

 

For a second, there was silence, then more hammering.

 

“Danvers? Are you in there? Are you alright?”

 

Clearly, Maggie hadn’t recognized that it was Alex who had called out to her. Probably because Alex didn’t even remotely sound like herself. This wouldn’t do. If Alex didn’t open the door, Maggie would probably break it down.

 

Grinding her teeth, Alex pushed herself to her feet and ambled over to the door. She hadn’t had too many clothes in her closet that would fit her, so she’d opted for one of her oversized sweaters (that was now just normal-sized) and a pair of sweatpants that were sort of snug around the hips but at least reached beyond her ankles.

 

When she looked through the peephole, she saw Maggie waiting with a somewhat anxious expression on her face.

 

“Maggie?” Alex called out, watching as her friend stood at high alert behind the door. “Something weird is happening to me. I know I don’t sound like myself right now, but I need you to not kick my ass when I open this door.”

 

Maggie looked confused for a second.

 

“Danvers? Is that you? What’s wrong with your voice?” She crossed her arms over her chest, and Alex bit her bottom lip. “And can you just let me in? I think your neighbors might think I’m planning to kill you or something.”

 

Closing her eyes, Alex thumped her head against the door a couple of times before she finally unlocked it and pulled it open.

 

For a second, nothing happened as Maggie just stared at her.

 

Then, she pulled her weapon.

 

“Alright,” she said, pointing the gun at Alex’s chest. “Who are you and why are you in Alex’s apartment? Is she here? Why were you pretending to be her?” She seemed pissed, and Alex ran her hand through her short hair.

 

“Please don’t shoot me,” she said, lifting her hands in a show of surrender. “I think I was cursed. I swear I woke up like this, Maggie.” She took a step back so Maggie could come inside, which she didn’t. “I’m really Alex.”

 

Maggie glared harder.

 

“Convince me,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

 

Alex bit her bottom lip harder.

 

“I kissed you in the bar after I told Kara that I’m-- that I like women,” she said quickly, taking another step back to be as non-threatening as possible. “And you told me that we should just be friends. And then I ignored you and I told you that I came out for you. And then you told me that you couldn’t imagine your life without me, because you’re a gigantic sap.”

 

Alright, maybe she shouldn’t have gone for the humorous approach, but she didn’t know what else to do.

 

How did you convince your friend that you’d been turned into a _man_ overnight?

 

-

 

“Wow,” Maggie said, leaning back on Alex’s couch. “So you’re really…?” Alex nodded. “And you have a…” Alex nodded again. “Wow.” She rubbed her face. “Wow, shit.” She blew out a breath and Alex nodded a third time.

 

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Alex mumbled, digging her nails into her thighs. God, even her hands were different. They were bigger and bulkier. Alex just thanked the high heavens that they weren’t hairy.

 

“Do you know how this happened?” Maggie asked, eyeing Alex up and down. Her eyes unmistakably lingered on Alex’s crotch, and Alex placed her hand over it. “Sorry, it’s just-- this is weird.”

 

“I know,” Alex said uncomfortably, pulling her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. “I think Zatanna might have something to do with it.” She placed her chin on her knees. “Yesterday she said she’d grant me a wish and this morning I woke up to this.”

 

Maggie frowned.

 

“You wanted to be a guy?” she asked, reaching out tentatively and placing her hand on Alex’s bicep. “I didn’t have you pegged as a trans man.” There wasn’t even a trace of humor in her voice.

 

“I’m not,” Alex replied, looking into Maggie’s eyes and wondering if she should share her theory.

 

Too bad Maggie was so goddamn intuitive.

 

“What is it?”

 

Alex looked away.

 

“I, uh, I think the wish might have… It’s about Kara,” Alex whispered, voice barely audible. She squeezed herself tighter, her biceps bulging with the extra muscle the transformation had given her.

 

“Why would you turn into a guy because of Kara?” Maggie asked, gently rubbing Alex’s shoulder. When Alex didn’t say anything, Maggie slowly ceased her supportive gesture. “Wait… are you… do you love…”

 

Alex hid her face against her knees.

 

“Oh,” Maggie whispered. After a second, she resumed her soft stroking. “And you thought that if you were perceived as a _guy_ , you might have better chances with her? Because you think she’s straight?”

 

Alex sniffled.

 

“I know she is,” she said, still hiding her face. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re sisters. Sisters don’t go out with each other.” Her shoulders started to shake, and a second later, Maggie had her arms wrapped tightly around Alex’s broad form.

 

“Hey, hey,” she whispered, kissing Alex’s head. “We’ll work this out together, alright? I’ve got you.” Her tone was kind and loving. “And hey, now you get to know what it’s like to have a dick. You can tell me what all the fucking hype is about.”

 

With a snort, Alex laughed through her tears.

 

Leave it to Maggie to make her feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep doing thissss haha but this needs a part 2. poor alex
> 
> hope you enjoyed! thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	6. it's a kind of magic [Part 2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Magic" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Alex is not going to lie to Kara, but how is she going to explain that a powerful enchantress made her look like a cis man?"

“Alright, first thing,” Maggie said as she let go of Alex’s shoulders and sat back on the couch.  “We need to get you some proper clothes. Those sweatpants aren't going to cut it when we get you to the DEO to get this shit sorted.”

 

Alex grimaced.

 

“I actually thought I’d go directly to Zatanna and get her to take back the spell.” She sighed and unfurled herself, placing her feet back on the ground. She still wasn't used to this new body. How it moved and felt. She was just glad her brain didn't seem to be changed.

 

“In sweatpants?” Maggie retorted, a somewhat amused smile on her face.

 

“Who cares what I’m wearing, as long as I turn back into myself by the end.” Shrugging, Alex got to her feet, furrowing her brows at the change in height. The curse had made her taller as well.

 

Before she could get anywhere, Maggie had her by the back of the sweater and was pulling her back.

 

“Do you even have shoes in your size?” she asked, getting up and looking down at Alex’s naked feet. “Because if you don't, I doubt they're even going to let you into that fancy hotel Zatanna’s staying at.” She shook her head. “Just shut up and go shopping with me.”

 

Grumbling, Alex acquiesced.

 

-

 

“Stop fussing,” Maggie demanded as she pushed herself into the dressing room after Alex. “It’s not like it’s really your body.” She locked the door and pulled out the first pair of pants. “Strip.”

 

Blushing, Alex glared at her friend.

 

“I regret the day I ever met you,” Alex said, hands shaking as she brought them to the elastic of her sweatpants. She’d been trying not to think about the fact that she no longer had a vagina. It made her feel all kinds of strange and uncomfortable. “Can't you turn around or something?”

 

Maggie rolled her eyes.

 

“Fine,” she said, turning away and placing her hands on her hips. “Are you worried about the size of your new equipment, ‘cause I really don't care about that.” The smirk was clear as day in her words.

 

“I hate you,” Alex murmured, finally feeling confident enough to slide down her sweatpants. Her thighs looked weird to her, too. Thicker and without any sort of curves. She sighed. “This is so shit.”

 

Maggie turned back towards her.

 

“We're going to fix this. Don't worry,” she said, handing Alex the pair of dark blue chinos she was holding. “We’ll get you some nice clothes and then we’re going to get you back to Zatanna and work this out. And if that doesn't work, I’m sure your mom can work some of her science magic.”

 

Alex paled.

 

“Oh god, my mom.” She buried her head in her hands. “She can never know.”

 

Her mother could never know that Alex had been harboring feelings for her sister.

 

“Hey, hey,” Maggie said soothingly, reaching out and rubbing Alex’s shoulders. “If your mom finds out about the spell, we’ll tell her that Zatanna did it to prank you. I’m an excellent liar.” She patted Alex’s cheek. “You not so much.”

 

Alex smiled softly at her friend.

 

“Thanks for this. I don't know what I would have done without your help,” she whispered, leaning in and giving Maggie a big hug that Maggie returned in full.

 

At least until…

 

“Oh my God, are you having an erection right now?” Maggie asked, pulling away and punching Alex in the arm.

 

“I’m sorry! It’s been happening on and off all day at the most random times,” Alex countered, rubbing her upper arm and pulling on the chinos. “At least now I know that the whole blue ball thing is a fucking lie.”

 

Maggie sniggered.

 

-

 

Alex looked at herself in the mirror. She had to admit she looked pretty nice in the new chinos and the light blue shirt. The fact that she now had proper shoes didn't hurt, either. If she hadn't recently discovered that she was a lesbian, she might have considered herself attractive enough to speak to in a romantic setting.

 

And the chinos made her butt look fantastic.

 

“Are you done?” Maggie asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

 

“Yeah, sorry,” Alex said, wondering what Kara would think if she saw her. If she’d be attracted to this male version of her. “Just thinking. Let’s go and visit Zatanna to get this all over with.” She slipped on the leather jacket she’d bought and put on her aviators.

 

Maggie shook her head.

 

“The girls are going to go crazy over you. And the queer men, too,” she said, sliding her arm around Alex’s shoulders and pushing them both out of Alex’s front door. “I can't wait to see how many heads you're going to turn on the way to the hotel.”

 

Sighing, Alex locked the door behind them. She only wanted to turn one head, but that wasn't very likely to happen.

 

-

 

The door swung open to reveal Zatanna in much the same outfit as the day before. Only today she was wearing a blood red blouse instead of a white one.

 

“Agent Danvers, I see your wish came true,” she said, smiling brightly as she stepped aside to allow both Alex and Maggie entrance. “Are you here because you have further questions about the case you were working?”

 

Alex crossed her arms over her chest, she and Maggie standing in the middle of the living room.

 

“I’m here because I need you to take back your spell,” Alex said, hoping she wouldn't offend Zatanna with her request. She didn't particularly feel like having a powerful enchantress on her bad side. “I can't stay like this.”

 

Zatanna furrowed her brows.

 

“This is what you wanted,” she said, walking over to her fridge and pulling out her bottle of water. Alex felt like she needed something much stronger. “It’s what you still want. I can't take back the spell. It will wear off as soon as you don't want it anymore.”

 

“But I don't want this,” Alex growled, hating the deep cadence of her voice.

 

“Well, clearly you do,” Zatanna replied, sipping on her water. “If you didn't, the spell would have worn off by now and you’d be yourself.” She shook her head. “I did you a favor.”

 

Clenching her jaw, Alex took a menacing step forward, but before she could say another word, Maggie had placed her hand on Alex’s chest.

 

“Are you _sure_ there’s no way to reverse it?” she asked insistently. Her hand was the only thing keeping Alex grounded.

 

Zatanna shrugged.

 

“Yes,” she said, putting down her glass. “I’m sorry the wish didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, but if I were you I would try to see this as a good thing. Go after what you want. Clearly there’s a reason why the wish granted you this body. Figure it out.”

 

Alex didn't even need to think about it.

 

She knew exactly what she wanted and why the wish had changed her. But she also knew that there was no way she could deceive Kara by not revealing her true identity. Kara would recognize her in a second. Her mannerisms, her speech patterns, her smile. There was no way Kara wouldn't know.

 

-

 

Alex felt strange as she made her way through the halls of the DEO’s city tower. Usually, everybody nodded to her out of respect. Today, nobody recognized her.

 

They did recognize Maggie though.

 

“That agent who just passed us is totally chewing off your ass right now,” Maggie whispered out of the corner of her eyes, causing Alex to look behind herself. Indeed, Agent Malone was staring at Alex’s behind and she blushed when Alex met her eyes.

 

“This is so wrong,” Alex whispered back, nodding at the pretty blonde woman from accounting who smiled at her. “I never knew straight people were so obvious.”

 

Maggie laughed.

 

“No reason not to be when you're the majority,” she replied jokingly. “And you were so deep into the closet you probably didn't even notice it when dudes hit on you.”

 

Humming in agreement, Alex forgot for a second that she wasn't herself. When Winn spotted them, Alex lifted her hand and smiled at him. He stared, then he blushed and brushed down his cardigan. His smile was so weirdly interested that Alex almost screwed up her face.

 

Right, handsome man. Not herself.

 

Maggie masked her laugh behind a cough.

 

“Try not to hit on everybody you come across, please,” she said, slapping Alex on the back as she shook her head. “I think poor Winn was already planning your wedding there for a second.”

 

This time Alex did screw up her face.

 

“Ew,” she whispered, hoping they’d be in J’onn’s office before anything worse happened.

 

Like seeing Mon-El walk in their general direction.

 

Crap.

 

His eyes swept over Alex for a moment, before his interest seemed to have been piqued.

 

Alex thought he might have been headed for Winn’s lab, but he’d obviously decided to change course, because a second later, he stopped right in front of Alex. Resting his arm on the balustrade next to him, he stretched out his hand and winked at her.

 

“Hey,” he said, his voice suspiciously sultry. “I’m Mon-El. I don't believe I’ve seen you around here before. Are you from a different twig of the DEO?”

 

“I think you mean branch,” Alex replied, reaching out with her hand and shaking Mon-El’s. It took everything within her not to snap at him or punch him in the face. If it turned out he’d just been leading on her sister, Alex was going to _end_ him.

 

“Oh yes, of course,” Mon-El said, clearly aiming for a charming smile. “I’m not from around here either.” He took another step towards Alex, who stubbornly stood her ground. “I would very much like to take you out sometime.”

 

It took everything within Alex not to grip Mon-El by the waist and hurl him over the balustrade.

 

“Sorry, my friend isn’t interested,” Maggie intervened, clearly aware of Alex’s very fragile state of mind. “Run along now.” She made a couple of shooing motions with her hands, which made Mon-El shake his shoulders.

 

“Alright,” he said, grinning at the two of them. “Just an offer.”

 

He winked at Alex.

 

Then, he continued on his way towards Winn’s lab, while Maggie wrapped her hands around Alex’s arm and pulled her along. Mentally, Alex was already counting the ways in which she could make that good-for-nothing bastard pay for sleeping around on her sister.

 

She’d heard plenty about his lead poisoning…

 

“He really wanted to get into your pants,” Maggie teased, slapping her hand down on Alex’s chest a few times.

 

“Stupid pansexual alien menace,” Alex grumbled back, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “If that little weasel is cheating on my sister, I am going to rip out every single one of his vertebrae with my bare hands.”

 

Maggie rolled her eyes.

 

“You know, that sounds a lot less endearing now that you’re in that body,” she said, ignoring Alex’s angry look. “Are you sure that your sister is even seeing the guy? If you were him and you were dating _Supergirl_ , don’t you think you’d be a little less blunt about your flirting at the place where she _works_?”

 

“Kara hasn’t talked to me about it,” Alex mumbled back, relieved when J’onn’s office finally came into view. She really needed to talk to him about all of this. Maybe he’d have some sort of insight into how Alex could get rid of this problem. “But she shares her food with him. She doesn’t even share her food with me.”

 

Wrinkling her nose, Maggie shook her head at Alex’s words.

 

“You’re basing this hypothesis on _food_?” she asked incredulously. “How can you be so sure that she’s even straight? Honestly you didn’t think this wish through at all, did you?”

 

“She’s never dated a woman before,” Alex argued.

 

“Neither have you, my friend,” Maggie retorted.

 

“Yeah, well… she’s never talked to me about even liking another woman.” Alex knew Maggie’s answer before she could give it. “And don’t give me that whole repressing thing again. We’re not all stupid like me.”

 

Maggie gave her a soft look.

 

“You weren’t stupid, Danvers. It’s not your fault that our society penalizes people who aren’t straight and makes it look like we’re disappointments.” She shook Alex’s shoulders. “You’re not a disappointment.”

 

Alex couldn’t look at her.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, trying to move on from their conversation. This whole thing was making her strangely uncomfortable. “As long as I get to talk to J’onn, I’ll be fine. He always knows what to do.”

 

He was over three-hundred years old. If he couldn’t help her, no one could.

 

-

 

The door to J’onn’s office was open, and Alex could see him sitting behind his desk. He was filling out forms, and seemed to be deep in thought. Looking at him sent another wave of anxiety down her back.

 

She knew he would always be there for her, but explaining the situation and why she was in it wasn’t her idea of a good time. Not at all. She’d rather just go home and not come out again until she wasn’t in love with Kara anymore.

 

“Hey,” Maggie called out to J’onn, pushing Alex out of her daydream. “Director J’onzz, we have a problem.”

 

Maggie pulled Alex inside and closed the door behind them while J’onn looked at them both with only mild interest. It was clear he hadn’t recognized Alex, and the thought made her sad.

 

“What can I do for you?” he asked, waving to the chairs in front of his desk. He gave Alex a questioning look, and she forced herself to look less like she’d just committed a crime.

 

After they’d sat down, Alex looked down at her new shoes.

 

They were black and shone in the light from the overhead lamps.

 

When no one spoke, Maggie sighed.

 

“You know we went to see Zatanna yesterday to talk to her about that bank robbery case,” she started, surreptitiously kicking Alex’s foot behind the desk. “She was kind enough to grant Alex a wish.”

 

His mild disinterest immediately evaporated.

 

“Is she okay?” He leaned forward in his desk, looking from Alex to Maggie and back again.

 

When Maggie kicked her again, Alex straightened up in her chair and raised her hand.

 

“I’m actually right here,” she said, giving Maggie a sideways glare. God, she wasn’t ready for this conversation. “Zatanna touched my hand and did her magic and when I woke up this morning, I was… _this_.”

 

J’onn stared at her, then he brought both of his hands to his face.

 

His reaction did not make Alex feel any better about her situation.

 

“You accepted a wish from Zatanna Zatara?” he asked, running his hands over his head and giving her a disbelieving look. “Why would you do that?”

 

Alex slipped down in her chair.

 

“I didn’t know she was serious.” She drummed her fingers up and down on her belly. “I didn’t even know what she was talking about. You should have warned me. I’ve never dealt with magic before!”

 

J’onn rubbed his forehead.

 

“Well, the spell will wear off once you no longer want it to be true,” he said matter-of-factly. “So… whatever it is that you want… deal with it.” He waved his hand around. “I don’t know what you could possibly want with a cis man’s body and I don’t need to know. Just get it over with.”

 

Sliding even further down her chair, Alex looked away.

 

“I can’t do that,” she whispered, digging her nails into her stomach. “It involves somebody else.”

 

His expression softened.

 

“It’s about Kara?” he guessed, making her tense up in her chair. How could he possibly know? When she didn't say a word - too stunned to speak - J’onn shook his head. “I’ve worked with you for years. You don't think I know what goes on in your head?”

 

He looked at Maggie, as though trying to gauge how much he could say in front of her.

 

“Maggie knows,” Alex squeaked, her hands now balled into fists. “But I don't know how to fix this. The only way this could possibly work is if I lie to Kara about who I really am, and I’m not going to do that. And… then there’s all the other stuff.”

 

She stared down at her shoes again, while J’onn let out a long sigh.

 

“You can't spend the rest of your life in a cis man's body, Alex,” he said, leaning forward in his desk chair. She could still barely look at him. “You have to tell her what’s going on.”

 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Alex got back to her feet.

 

“I’ll think about it,” she said, grimacing at both of them. “Can you hold off on telling anyone else? I don't want this to become another story about me for the gossip mill.” She’d heard enough of those ‘I would totally do Agent Danvers if she were a man’-statements when she’d come out.

 

She didn't need to add fuel to the fire.

 

Before either J’onn or Maggie could say another word, Alex was out of the lab, her hands stuffed deep into her pockets.

 

She’d just rounded the corner when she saw a flash of red and blue.

 

Next thing she knew, Alex was on the ground, her butt hurting from the impact of the crash. She grunted as she looked up and saw Kara sitting across from her, the folders she’d been carrying all laying on the floor, scattered around them.

 

Alex’s heart stood still.

 

“Oh fudge,” Kara said, looking over at Alex and giving her an apologetic smile. “I didn’t see you there. I’m so sorry; I should have paid more attention to where I was going.” She pushed herself to her knees and started gathering up the folders.

 

Kara didn’t know who she was.

 

Not yet, anyway.

 

“It’s fine,” Alex replied, clearing her throat as she also got to her knees and started reaching out for some of the folders. “I should’ve been paying more attention, too.” She made sure their hands didn’t touch as they reached for the same folder at the same time.

 

“Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before,” Kara said casually as she gave Alex a big, beautiful smile. It wasn’t the sort of smile that Alex was used to, either. “I’m Supergirl.” She reached out her hand and Alex took it gingerly.

 

This was so wrong.

 

Alex needed to tell her.

 

“No, I’m not new,” she said instead, picking up three of the folders. “And I know who you are.”

 

_Because I’m your sister._

 

_Trapped in a man’s body._

 

 _Because you’re straight and I’m in love with you_.

 

This was absolutely humiliating.

 

“Oh, right,” Kara replied, blushing gently as she looked down at the big _S_ on her chest. “Sorry.” She blushed further when Alex gave her a soft smile. “So if you aren’t new, how come I haven’t seen you around before?”

 

She started walking again, indicating with a smile that Alex should follow her. Clearly, Kara was in a chatty mood. This wasn’t anything unusual. Kara loved making conversation with the people who worked for the DEO. She just had too much love to give.

 

“Oh, um,” Alex hedged, still wondering if she should just blurt out that she was Alex. Maybe she could keep up the charade for just a second longer and later tease Kara that she hadn’t figured it out herself. “I used to work at the desert base. I’ve just been transferred.”

 

Nodding with understanding, Kara looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

 

Seeing Kara from this angle was strange. Alex was actually taller than Kara for the first time since they were teenagers. Even though Alex felt like she should have been enjoying this development, she didn’t.

 

“What’s your name, by the way?” Kara asked, almost skipping as they walked down a corridor together. “I promise I’ll remember it. I have a very good memory.” Her cape swished back and forth as she walked.

 

“Alex,” Alex said without thinking, mentally slapping herself in the face. So much for keeping a low profile at the DEO until this was all over with.

 

But then again, Alex was a pretty gender-neutral name… And it wasn’t like anyone would actually think that Alex had been cursed or put under a spell. She could just say she’d gone on vacation or something… which was somehow even less believable than being cursed.

 

“Oh, like my sister!” Kara exclaimed, her smile as wide as her face. “You know my sister, right? Agent Danvers? She’s the best.”

 

For the fraction of a second, Alex wanted to laugh hysterically.

 

Then, she caught herself.

 

“Yeah, I know her pretty well,” Alex replied, looking down at her shoes. It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t. None of what she’d said had been a lie so far. Technically, Alex _had_ recently been transferred from the desert base. Depending on how one defined the word recently. “She speaks very highly of you.”

 

Kara giggled.

 

“But why wouldn’t she, right?” Alex added, a blush spreading over her cheeks. “You’re great.”

 

“Thanks,” Kara said, looking at Alex with an almost indecipherable look. “You know, you kind of remind of my sister.” She opened a door to the right with her elbow. “Your hair’s the exact same shade.”

 

Alex put down the three folders she was holding next to the ones Kara had just put down, before raking a hand through her hair self-consciously.

 

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed,” Alex replied, stuffing her hands into her pockets.

 

“Yeah,” Kara said, turning around and looking directly into Alex’s eyes.

 

This time, Alex was pretty sure _why_ she was getting an erection. She just hoped and prayed Kara wouldn’t notice. Being a cisgender man was so fucking embarrassing.

 

“Thanks for helping me carry these folders,” Kara said, smiling brightly. “Daisy really needed them and she has a bad back.” She fiddled with her cape, which Alex noticed only because she was trying to avoid looking directly at Kara’s face to make her erection go away.

 

“No problem,” Alex replied, following Kara out of the room.

 

Now was a prime opportunity to tell Kara that she was really her sister. Before she said anything that she couldn’t take back.

 

“I should get back to the training room now. I’m sure Mon-El is done with whatever he’s doing with Winn,” Kara said, leaning forward and giving Alex a kiss on the cheek. “I hope I’ll see you around here again.”

 

When she’d turned around, Alex’s mouth opened, but the words that she ended up speaking weren’t the ones she’d intended.

 

“Are you and Mon-El a thing?” she asked, instead of telling Kara that she’d had a spell cast on her. Instead of telling her that she was Alex. Alex Danvers. And that she was in love with her. “It’s just… people have been talking…”

 

For a second, Alex wondered if she was going to get slapped. But then, Kara burst out laughing. A laugh so big that Alex asked herself how her sister’s body could possibly hold that much air, even with her Kryptonian lungs.

 

Once she’d calmed down, tears were running down Kara’s cheeks.

 

“Oh wow, I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in a while,” Kara said, wiping her eyes. “Thank Rao I always wear waterproof mascara.” She grinned at Alex. “No, Mon-El and I are _not_ a thing. He’s like the little cousin I never had.”

 

A look of sadness crossed her face before she wiped it away.

 

“I can’t believe people think that.” Shaking her head, Kara rolled her eyes. “They see a girl and a guy hanging out together and they immediately assume the two of them must be an item. That’s so dumb.”

 

Feeling incredibly sheepish, Alex tried not to act like _she’d_ been the one making that assumption. For weeks. About something that was apparently so ridiculous that Kara had almost doubled over with amusement.

 

“Oh, that’s good,” she stuttered out, scratching the back of her neck.

 

“Is it?” Kara asked, questioningly tilting her head to the side.

 

Alex blushed horribly.

 

“Um, I just meant-- he, um, he seems like he’s not the monogamous type. Which is fine.” Alex tried to recover, she really did, but the blush wouldn’t go away. When Kara didn’t stop her confused puppy dog look, Alex caved. “And I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get lunch. Together. With me.”

 

 _With your sister_ , she thought, _who’s being a lying liar_.

 

This was bound not to end well, Alex could already tell.

 

“You want to take me to lunch?” Kara asked, a look of surprise coloring her features.

 

“Unless you don’t want me to, which would be fine. We don’t really know each other. Maybe this is weird. This is weird.” Alex rubbed her hands along her pants to get the sweat off. Apparently her male body was just as prone to the same signs of stress. “I’m just going to go.”

 

She’d almost made it around Kara, when her sister’s hand curled around her arm.

 

“Sure, I’ll go to lunch with you,” she said, giving Alex a small smile. “Let me just get into civilian clothes.”

 

As Kara walked away from her, Alex wondered what the had just happened.

 

And what the hell she was doing.

 

-

 

“Where do you want to go?” Kara asked, her hands hanging loosely by her sides as she looked up at Alex. They were standing outside of the DEO after Kara had changed clothes, and Alex was nervous.

 

Very nervous.

 

“I know this really good food truck just around the corner,” Alex replied, feeling only slightly guilty that she was using her knowledge of Kara’s likes and dislikes to her advantage. She could still say it had all been a big, practical joke later, right? Right?

 

Well, she wasn’t going to let it get too far. Besides, she knew she couldn’t get away with not telling Kara for too long, considering that Kara would get worried or suspicious that Alex wasn’t around. The female version of Alex, anyway.

 

And when she showed up at Alex’s apartment, she’d probably be a bit confused to find the male Alex hanging out there.

 

There was no way this could go beyond lunch.

 

But just for a while, Alex wanted to feel like she could have a shot. Just once.

 

“Sounds great,” Kara said, smiling at her before she started to follow Alex.

 

It didn’t take them long to reach the food truck, and Alex kept her hands in her pockets the entire time. There was no way she’d be making it weird by becoming all touchy-feely with Kara. Just talking to her she could get away with. All of the other stuff… well…

 

“Oh, I love this one,” Kara gushed, smiling as they got in line. There were a few picnic tables strewn across the lot, and a couple of them were still unclaimed. “They make the best tacos in the city.”

 

Alex smiled quietly to herself.

 

“You know what, why don’t you order for us and I’ll save us a table? My treat,” Alex said, pulling out her wallet. She tilted it away from Kara so her sister wouldn’t see her ID. She didn’t want Kara to think she’d liberated the wallet from her sister’s - her own - pocket.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” Kara said, patting her purse. “I can pay.”

 

Shrugging, Alex pulled out the appropriate amount of cash.

 

“I don’t mind. You can pay next time.” She tried not to sound like there definitely wouldn’t be a next time.

 

At least not like this.

 

-

 

Kara joined her with the tacos and immediately started eating hers, while Alex laid her napkin over her lap first. Thankfully, there was next to no wind in National City, or else this move wouldn’t have worked very well.

 

But Alex was used to eating here.

 

“So, you and Mon-El _definitely_ aren’t a thing, huh?” Alex asked, trying not to sound too relieved about that. “I think some people were basing their assessments about that on how often you’ve shared your food with him.”

 

Kara rolled her eyes.

 

“As if I’d ever be interested in Mon-El,” she said around a mouthful of taco. When she realized what she was doing, she at least brought her hand in front of her mouth. The gesture reminded Alex that Kara still didn’t know who she was. Kara never cared about manners around her.

 

“Yeah… only a jealous idiot would think that,” Alex mumbled to herself, before she finally bit into her taco. She couldn’t believe she’d never thought to ask Kara about it. “Is there anyone else you like?”

 

Now Kara’s eyebrow did raise a little in suspicion.

 

“Is this the ask Kara about her relationships day?” she asked, still mostly joking.

 

More blushing on Alex’s part.

 

“Sorry,” she said, looking down and wiping her face with her extra napkin. “I just don’t want to overstep any boundaries with anyone by taking you to lunch.”

 

That was much was true at least. Somewhat.

 

Alex didn’t want to overstep any boundaries _period_.

 

Sighing, Kara put down her taco.

 

“There’s no one to offend,” she said, wiping her sticky hands on a napkin. “I’m really very single.” She sighed and placed her head on her chin. “I broke up with my sort of boyfriend a couple of weeks ago, because I realized I liked someone else, but they don’t like me back.”

 

Alex raised both eyebrows.

 

That was certainly unexpected.

 

Kara had never mentioned anything to her about liking anyone besides James.

 

Suddenly, Alex felt skeevy for asking Kara about this. She hadn’t actually expected her sister to say anything, now that Mon-El clearly wasn’t in a relationship with her.

 

“I actually asked Mon-El if we could play up the whole hanging out thing a bit more so they would maybe notice and get jealous and… ugh.” Kara closed her eyes. “That was so stupid. And it also didn’t work.”

 

Alex said nothing. Who at the DEO had Kara been trying to make jealous?

 

“I probably shouldn’t even tell you this,” Kara said, looking at Alex like she was contemplating if Alex would gossip about this to anyone. “You just really remind me of my sister. She’s always there for me.”

 

Swallowing hard, Alex picked up her taco.

 

“Why haven’t you talked to her about this? I’m sure she’d love to help,” she said, forcing herself to take a bite of the taco to make herself look natural. She didn’t even want to know who Kara was crushing on. It was none of her business, and if Kara hadn’t told her, then _she_ obviously didn’t want her to know either.

 

Humming, Kara stared off into the distance.

 

“I can’t,” she said simply, and Alex didn’t particularly feel like pushing.

 

“If you’re worried that she’s going to think you’re weird, I can absolutely tell you that she won’t,” she said instead, giving Kara a reassuring smile. “Everybody knows that she cares for you way too much.” Alex put down her taco. “She’s like stupidly crazy about you.”

 

She didn’t particularly care that she’d just said that out loud.

 

After all, she was just playing up her part, right? And Kara wouldn’t think anything of the statement later after she’d found out her sister had been turned into a man. And that the reason for the spell was that Alex actually _was_ crazy about her.

 

What she didn’t expect was for Kara to turn her head around so fast Alex worried it was going to snap off.

 

“Are people saying that?” she demanded, her eyes fixing Alex with an intense stare.

 

“Um,” Alex replied, putting down her food just in case Kara was going to jump over the table and strangle her for her comment. When Kara didn’t stop staring at her, Alex figured she’d have to give a more coherent answer. “Yeah, I guess.”  


Very coherent.

 

 _Goddamn fucking articulate_ , Alex thought to herself.

 

“It’s not like _that’s_ weird, either,” Alex said, now trying to justify herself. “I mean, she’s a human and you’re an alien. You’re not even the same species.” She clamped her mouth shut. “Not that that is any of my business.”

 

She got to her feet.

 

“You know, maybe this whole lunch thing wasn’t a good idea. I have to go.” She grabbed her half-eaten taco and stepped away from the picnic table. “I’m sorry I asked you so many personal questions. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with DEO gossip.”

 

“Wait,” Kara said, getting up from the picnic table as well.

 

Alex halted.

 

She couldn’t deny Kara anything.

 

“Do you think the rumors are true? Do you think Alex is crazy about me?” She looked almost more uncomfortable than Alex, if that was even possible.

 

Hesitating for a second, Alex scraped together whatever confidence she could find.

 

“I think she’s in love with you,” she said, forcing herself to make eye contact with her sister.

 

When Kara didn’t say anything else, Alex walked away.

 

-

 

“I’ll tell her tomorrow,” Alex said into her phone, her eyes glued to the television.

 

She was stretched out on her couch, her hand resting on her stomach. The woman on the food network was cutting up some onions and Alex had been drifting in and out of sleep before Maggie had called her to talk about things.

 

“I probably shouldn’t have taken her to lunch, but I couldn’t stop myself,” Alex said, trying ignore _yet another erection_. When would this new body part finally chill itself out?

 

She’d changed back into her dark sweatpants and her oversized sweater. If this was going to be a more permanent state of being, she would have to get more clothes at some point, but that was a thought for another day.

 

“She’s definitely going to be more pissed about that than about the fact that you’re into her,” Maggie promised, once again hitting the nail on the head. After that weird conversation about who Kara was into, Alex would definitely get her ass kicked in a spectacular fashion.

 

“I know,” Alex agreed, closing her eyes and sighing. “She’s going to beat me up.”

 

Maggie chuckled.

 

“Yeah, right after she gives you a big hug and right before she forgives you.” Maggie’s voice was teasing, and Alex only grunted in annoyance. “Honestly, Danvers, you’re making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Kara’s adopted. Lots of adopted siblings fall in love later in life, especially when they’re both already teens once the adoption takes place.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex rubbed her eyes.

 

“Did you research this?”

 

Another chuckle.

 

“I maybe have googled for a couple of minutes,” Maggie replied, finally making Alex laugh, even though it sounded just a bit desperate. “You need to get over your angst and just _tell her_.”

 

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Alex whispered, opening her eyes and sitting up on the couch. “I’m going to call--”

 

Before she could finish her sentence, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

 

“Maggie, I’m going to have to call you back,” Alex said, just as a leg came soaring at her head.

 

“Why are you in my sister’s apartment?” Kara asked, reaching back with her fist. Alex barely managed to move out of her path. “I should have known you were too nice! Did you just want to pump me for information about her?”

 

“Kara, stop!” Alex called out, vaulting over the back of the couch and lifting both of her hands. “It’s me, Kara, it’s Alex.” She moved further away as Kara jumped over the back of the couch as well. It was clear that she wasn’t using her superpowers yet because she wanted to know what had happened to Alex first.

 

Kara’s enraged expression didn’t change.

 

“Kara… come on, you know me,” Alex said, almost tripping over one of her kitchen chairs. “You know I’m telling the truth.” She was almost to the front door now. “I spoke to Zatanna about the bank robbery case and she put a spell on me.”

 

Snorting, Kara tried for another swing, which Alex ducked.

 

“Nice try, but I wasn’t born yesterday,” she said, grabbing Alex by the front of her sweater and pinning her against the front door. “Now you’re going to tell me what you did with my sister or I’m going to _make_ you tell me.”

 

Alex gripped Kara’s wrists.

 

“When you came to live with us, I was mean to you. I thought you were weird and I was jealous because I thought my parents loved you more than me,” Alex started, which only seemed to make Kara angrier. “But when I broke my arm, you sat with me at the hospital and you told me you’d always take care of me, because we were bonded together under Rao’s light.”

 

Her expression turning guilty, Kara dropped Alex back onto her feet.

 

“Alex?” she asked, her hands hovering over Alex’s body. “Why would Zatanna do this?” Then realization seemed to dawn on her. “And why didn’t you tell me earlier?” She punched Alex in the arm, which _stung_.

 

“Ow, jeez, Kara,” Alex complained, rubbing her bicep.

 

A second later, Kara was in her arms.

 

“I’m sorry I tried to beat you up,” she said, actually having to get up on her tiptoes for once to hug Alex properly. They were pressed together from head to toe and Alex wrapped her arms around Kara tightly, burying her nose in Kara’s shoulder.

 

She was still half convinced that her sister would never want to be this close to her again once she knew.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Alex whispered, ignoring the swelling in her sweatpants. She didn’t even care anymore. There was no stopping it anyway. “I was embarrassed.” She didn’t want to pull away and thankfully, Kara didn’t seem bothered by that. “I swear I was going to tell you tomorrow.”

 

Kara stroked the back of her head.

 

“Why were you embarrassed? It’s not your fault Zatanna did this to you.” Finally, Kara did pull away, her cheeks red. Alex could have sworn she’d seen her sister glance down to her crotch for just a second. “I’m the one who should be embarrassed. I should have known it was you.”

 

Shuffling forward, Alex made her way towards the couch, rubbing her hands on her sweater.

 

Once she was there, she turned off the television and gestured for Kara to sit. Then she started to pace in front of her coffee table. How best to start explaining that you were in love with your adoptive sister… _to_ your adoptive sister.

 

Kara stared at her as she paced.

 

“Does this have anything to do with what you said before you left during lunch?” Kara asked, placing her hands under her thighs and looking up at Alex with an unreadable expression. She didn’t seem to be able to say the words, either.

 

“Yeah…” Alex whispered, stopping behind the coffee table. “We went to Zatanna to talk about the case and she cast a spell on me.” She started pacing again. It was easier when she wasn’t looking at Kara. “She said it would make my wish come true.”

 

Kara furrowed her brows.

 

“But then why are you… why would you turn into…?” She seemed at a loss and Alex crossed her arms over her chest, before stopping again.

 

“Because…” She couldn’t say it. Not directly to Kara’s face. Clenching her teeth, Alex turned away from her sister. “Because you… love men. And I’m not… I’m not a…” She trailed off. Her bottom lip quivered.

 

She wasn’t going to cry over this.

 

She wasn’t.

 

-

 

When she felt Kara’s arms wrap around her waist from behind, Alex let out a shuddering breath. This was the moment that Kara would let her down easy, because she was a good person. Because she loved people too much and too fiercely.

 

Maybe this could be the moment that Alex realized there was no point in wanting what she could never have.

 

She shuddered when Kara’s fingers drew shapes and letters into her tense stomach.

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered, pressing her lips against Alex’s shoulder, “whether you’re a man or a woman.” Her arms tightened their grip when Alex tried to pull away. “I was so stupid, Alex. I should have told you earlier. I should have said something. I was going to, but then you met Maggie and…”

 

Alex rubbed her face.

 

“God, fuck, what is wrong with us?” She didn’t expect an answer, and Kara didn’t seem willing to give her one.

 

They stood together for a couple of moments, just taking in the silence.

 

“Is the spell going to wear off? Or is it permanent?” Kara asked, placing her chin on Alex’s shoulder. “‘Cause I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know if I can get used to looking up at you like this. You may have to crouch for the rest of your life.”

 

Swallowing the knot in her throat, Alex let out a laugh.

 

“How can you be so calm about this? I’ve been freaking out about how I feel for weeks.” She turned around when Kara finally let her go. “I got granted a wish and instead of ending world hunger, I dreamt about what it would be like if I’d been born a guy so I could be with you. How stupid is that?”

 

Kara was biting her bottom lip, clearly trying not to smile.

 

“I actually think it’s kind of sweet,” she said, placing her hands on Alex’s chest. “Even though it’s really weird to see you like this.” With a flourish, she pulled up Alex’s sweater to look what lay beneath, making Alex squeak. “Yeah, I can work with this.” She was grinning now.

 

“Jerk,” Alex mumbled, pulling down her sweater.

 

“You love me,” Kara sing-songed, grabbing Alex by the hand and twirling herself underneath Alex’s arm. Her cape swished with the motion, almost knocking one of Alex’s books off the coffee table.

 

“As if that’s anything new,” Alex grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes.

 

“I know,” Kara giggled, “but this is.”

 

Her arms winding around Alex’s neck, she pushed herself up on the tips of her red boots and pressed her lips against Alex’s mouth. Her lips were soft and gentle and Alex moaned quietly at the feeling.

 

As Alex tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on Kara’s hips, it felt as though she was shrinking in size.

 

By the time Kara pulled away, Alex almost felt like herself again.

 

“Wow,” Kara breathed, leaning in for a second, much chaster kiss.

 

“Yeah,” Alex whispered shakily, her hands sliding around Kara’s back so she could pull her closer. Just in case this was all a dream or Kara had also been influenced by the spell. Maybe the other shoe would drop any second.

 

“I broke the spell with my kiss.” Kara’s voice was amused, and she pressed a few more quick pecks against Alex’s lips. “It’s like a fairytale. I could totally pull off the princess look, right?”

 

Alex sighed, then finally opened her eyes.

 

She looked down at herself.

 

“Well, my boobs are back,” she said, stepping back from Kara so she could get a better view. She patted at her sweatpants. “And all of that down there seems to be back in order. Welcome back, vagina.”

 

Her hands were the same, too.

 

And they looked especially beautiful when Kara pressed her palms against them and intertwined their fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for checking this for me :))
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	7. rest your head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Pillow" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "You miss Alex whenever she isn't in town."

Alex isn’t just a DEO agent.

 

She’s also a renowned scientist in her field.

 

Which means - among other things - that she’s expected to attend science conventions. You don’t really know what goes on at those, because you’ve never been to one, but you have a feeling Alex spends most of those evenings at the in-house bar.

 

Although, now that she’s come out, maybe Alex won’t be as reluctant to socialize.

 

You don’t like to dwell on thoughts like that, mostly because you’re still a little bit upset that it took for Alex to meet  _ Maggie  _ to figure out her own identity. You’ve known Alex since you were thirteen and yet it never occurred to her that maybe the two of you should be something other than sisters.

 

You’ve never told her about that, because you know it isn’t her fault.

 

And even though you’re pretty sure Maggie is a nice person and could make your sister very happy, you still get that spark of annoyance every time you see her. Because she could have had Alex and she told her no.

 

You don’t understand that at all.

 

Alex is the most wonderful person you’ve ever met.

 

Anyway.

 

Sometimes, Alex has to leave for science conventions, and even though you’ve never told her that, you hate it when she leaves town without you. And not just since you had to stop her plane from crashing.

 

You’ve always hated it when Alex left you alone. 

 

Occasionally you wonder if maybe your inability to let go of Alex borders on codependency.

 

-

 

When Alex goes out of town, you always feel mildly out of sorts.

 

Like today, when you’re pretty sure you should be proud of yourself for stopping that bank robbery downtown. 

 

But you’re just not feeling it when Alex isn’t sitting next to you, congratulating you for a job well done. You suppose you could call up James or Winn. Lucy is out of the question, because she’s out of town, too, on a special DEO mission. 

 

Sighing, you pick up the remote to turn on Netflix.

 

But even that seems like an impossible task when Alex isn’t sitting next to you to complain about your choice in romantic comedy. For a second, you contemplate turning on a horror movie, just to get the feeling that Alex is with you, but then you decide against that altogether.

 

You know exactly what you want to do, you just weren’t sure how long you’d hold out this time.

 

A moment later, you’re flying through the night sky, your overnight bag clutched in your hand. 

 

By the time you’re in Alex’s apartment, your anxiousness has melted away.

 

You’re only supposed to use the key in emergencies, but you feel like this qualifies. After all, Alex wouldn’t want you to feel upset and alone in your apartment. And it’s not like she’s going to mind you spending a few days here while she’s out of town.

 

As you make your way further inside, your eyes linger on the pictures on the shelves. The picture of Jeremiah sits prominently in the middle and you take a second to wonder where he’s gone and how he managed to help you escape from Cadmus.

 

You hope he will be alright, and you wish you could have taken him with you. 

 

Alex doesn’t blame you - she knows her dad wouldn’t have sent you away without him if he’d been able to come along - but you know she blames  _ herself _ . 

 

She gave up looking for him when she was a teenager, and even though you’ve tried to talk to her about this, you know she didn’t really hear you when you told her she couldn’t have known. Alex has always been too ready to take the blame.

 

Pulling your eyes away from the picture, you cross the apartment.

 

You don’t bother with the kitchen or the living room; you head directly into Alex’s bedroom. 

 

Closing the door behind you, you press your back against it and close your eyes, taking in the stillness of the room and the scent that clings to every surface. For a moment, you bask in the feeling of safety that always comes with being at Alex’s place.

 

You don’t spend a lot of time here, but this space has always been one of your favorites. You like how Alex has furnished her rooms and the muted color schemes she’s gone for. They’re so different from your own and it reminds you of all the ways in which the two of you should clash.

 

And yet, all you do is fit together.

 

Putting down the overnight bag on Alex’s bed, you quickly change into your pajamas and pull out your laptop. You aren’t planning on doing terribly much for the rest of the evening. In fact, you’re probably mostly going to be snacking and dozing.

 

When you slide under Alex’s blanket, you smile as you pick up her pillow and press it to your face. For a couple of minutes, you pretend that it’s Alex you’re hugging and you think about calling her.

 

You don’t want to be a nuisance, even though Alex would never think that about you.

 

You decide to text her instead.

 

Smiling, you open up your laptop and turn on a stupidly fun rom-com while you wait for Alex to text you back. Your head rests on her pillow and you pull the blanket tightly around yourself, pretending that it’s Alex holding you close.

 

-

 

Now that the two of you have really become friends, James always notices when Alex is out of town. He’s the least involved with the DEO business, even with him being the Guardian, and so he usually has to figure out for himself why you’re feeling like a raincloud is hanging over your head.

 

He’s also the first one who wonders out loud when you decided to buy the same red jumper as Alex, and you have the decency to blush about the fact that you’re wearing your sister’s clothes to work. 

 

You tell him to shut up, but you can’t quite keep the smile to yourself.

 

-

 

Staying at Alex’s apartment when she isn’t there is a habit you picked up years ago.

 

You don’t remember the first time you decided to see if being around Alex’s things would make you feel less alone. You also have no idea if Alex is aware of the fact that you sleep and live there when she isn’t home.

 

Talking about how much you truly miss her isn’t exactly very high on your list of priorities.

 

She probably thinks you only come around to water her plants and make sure there isn’t any food left in her fridge that could go bad while she isn’t there to eat it. You’re always more than ready to help her out with that, of course.

 

-

 

In all the years, she’s never caught you.

 

You’re always gone before she gets back.

 

But when you wake up in her bed this time (with your face pressed against her pillow), you feel arms holding you tightly from behind and the feeling of soft breaths brushing over your neck. 

 

“I thought you weren’t going to be back until Saturday,” you mumble quietly, too tired to freak out about the fact that your sister found you out for real this time. 

 

“We were released early,” Alex whispers, tightening her hold on you. “I figured I might find you here when I stopped by your apartment and got no answer.” 

 

You sigh.

 

“I missed you,” you whisper, pressing your face deeper into her pillow. Now that she’s here, you don’t need it as a crutch, but you feel mildly embarrassed to be found out. 

 

“I missed you, too,” Alex says with a clear smile in her voice. “I’m actually surprised that this is the first time I’ve managed to find you while you’re still here. You’re usually out before I come back.”

 

You don’t turn over, just bury your head further into the pillow.

 

“You’ve never come home early before.”

 

Alex chuckles.

 

“Nerd.” Her voice is full of love and you finally turn around to bury your face in her neck. 

 

“I missed you,” you say again, hands curling around your sister’s back.

 

“I know,” she replies, kissing your hair. “But I’m back now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short and sweet!
> 
> all mistakes are my own today
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	8. the mating dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Stop staring" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara can't stop staring at Alex."

It hadn’t been a spontaneous decision.

 

In fact, it took Alex several years just to get up the courage to tell Kara that the feelings she had for her weren’t of a sisterly nature. She might have never told her, if Kara hadn’t shown up one night at Alex’s apartment after Alex had gotten terribly drunk.

 

Alex had been in her first semester at college, and already she’d been struggling.

 

Kara had known - of course she had - and she’d come by with Alex’s favorite food (that Alex’s mom miraculously never seemed to remember) and there Alex had been. Drunk and depressed and full of truths that she’d never spoken out loud before.

 

The night hadn’t ended in kisses, but Kara had stayed with her until the morning. Holding her, whispering to her that they would be okay.

 

And they had been.

 

It had taken a couple of weeks for Kara to work up the nerve to talk to Alex about how she had been feeling, especially since Alex’s drunken confession. And they’d decided to try. How being together in a different way would make them feel.

 

Alex would never forget the first time they’d touched.

 

The first time they’d kissed.

 

The first time they’d made love.

 

Kara surrounding her, being close to her, reaching out for her.

 

Alex remembered the taste of her skin, the sweet sound of her voice as she came over and over in Alex’s mouth.

 

Beautiful.

 

They hadn’t told anyone.

 

They didn’t need to.

 

When they were outside of their apartment, they didn’t need to kiss to show each other that they belonged to one another. Holding hands and lingering hugs carried them through any crisis, and when Kara had her first meeting with Cat Grant for the position of assistant at CatCo Worldwide Media, Alex had been waiting downstairs in the car for her.

 

With her secret exposed, there had been no reason for Alex to drink, and when Hank Henshaw came to Alex at her university’s lab to ask her about joining the DEO and finishing her degree there, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.

 

It took Alex all of five hours to tell Kara that she’d joined a secret organization.

 

So no, the decision to get married hadn’t been spontaneous.

 

It had been eight years in the making.

 

-

 

“Hey, Winn, can you get me one of our blue kryptonite shells? I want to see if we can make something useful out of those with the goop that Maggie brought in last week,” Alex said without bothering to look up from her microscope. “I’m seeing some seriously fascinating reactions right now.”

 

Winn whined.

 

“But they’re all the way down in the basement.” He was probably pouting, but Alex didn’t spare him a glance. “Can’t Kara get it? Kara’s the one with the super speed.” She could just imagine him slumping his shoulders.

 

“No,” Alex responded, finally looking up from the specimen. “You know the blue stuff makes Kara delirious.”

 

Kara’s smile was entirely too smug.

 

“You are the worst,” Winn protested, getting up from his chair and wrapping his cardigan tighter around himself. “The basement is way too cold and big, so you’ll probably see me back here _tomorrow_.”

 

“Take Mon-El with you,” Kara said, getting up from where she’d been leaning against the desk so she could pat Winn on the shoulder. “I think he’s been getting a little too bored. Daisy down in accounting told me he tried to prank J’onn last week. You need to keep him in check.”

 

“Why me?” Winn grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s your cousin or uncle or whatever from a different planet, Kara Zor- _El_.”

 

Alex cleared her throat, and Winn threw up his hands.

 

“I swear, the abuse I get around here is unconscionable.” With these dramatic words, he stalked out of the lab. Outside, they could hear him calling for Mon-El, and Alex was pretty sure she could hear fondness in his words.

 

“He’s not wrong, you know,” Alex said as she got from up her chair. “You are technically responsible for him.” During a routine inspection of Mon-El’s genetic code and blood work, they’d realized that there were certain genetic markers that linked him and Kara together. “You should pay more attention to your cousin three-thousand times removed.”

 

Kara chuckled.

 

“I would’ve been here to take care of him if _someone_ hadn’t talked me into going on a two-week vacation,” she replied, walking over to Alex and watching her put away some of the equipment she’d used on the goop.

 

“It was our honeymoon, Kara, I think that doesn’t qualify as me talking you into anything.” Alex smiled warmly and looked down at the metallic band on her left ring finger. It was understated and simple, and hardly anyone would regard it as a wedding ring at all, just how Alex liked it. The inside was littered with Kryptonian words.

 

Sighing dramatically, Kara shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Still totally your fault,” she whispered, pressing her lips against Alex’s cheek. “If you hadn’t asked me for the bonding ceremony, Mon-El wouldn’t have poured green paint all over Lucy in an attempt to prank J’onn.”

 

“The fact that he’s still alive amazes me,” Alex said, grinning at Kara and sliding their hands together for a loving squeeze.

 

Their bonding ceremony had been held at the Fortress. Just the two of them and the Kryptonian robot Kelex as they made their commitment to one another official in the light of Rao.

 

It had been a beautiful ceremony, Alex thought.

 

With Kara in her Supergirl outfit and Alex wrapped in a thick jacket and a woolen hat.

 

Mismatched and all over the place. Just like them.

 

“She thinks he’s funny,” Kara said, pulling away and going back to where she’d left a book she’d been reading recently in between missions. She’d left it in the lab, because that was where Alex spent most of her time.

 

“She did, at least,” Alex amended, turning towards a different machine that she would be using to liquify the blue kryptonite. “Bet she’s changed her mind now that he’s tried to turn her into a green Martian.”

 

When there was no answer, Alex looked over just in time to see Kara’s eyes flit back down towards her book. She was obviously pretending to read, but Alex didn’t call her out on it.

 

“Mom called me last night to talk to me about Christmas,” Alex said nonchalantly, not expecting an answer from her wife. “She says you should bring that charming young man she met at your apartment for Thanksgiving. I think she means Mon-El.”

 

Adjusting a few of the dials, Alex looked out of the corner of her eye again.

 

Sure enough, Kara was watching her.

 

“So there are two options,” Alex continued, smiling quietly to herself. “Mom either thinks that there’s something going on between you and Mon-El, or she wants that charming young man all to herself.”

 

Hearing Kara giggle with amusement, Alex mentally congratulated herself.

 

“And don’t even make a joke about mom needing a young, hot-blooded gigolo or something,” Alex said, picking up a rag and cleaning off some of the dust that had settled on the machine since the last time she’d used it. “That would be gross.”

 

Kara didn’t say anything and Alex enjoyed the way Kara’s eyes lingered on her for a second longer.

 

“Stop staring,” she finally said, raising one eyebrow.

 

“Why?” Kara asked, dropping both her book and the pretense of reading it. “I can’t look at my wife now?” Her smile was bright and the pure crystal ring on her finger gleamed in the sunlight. When she was out on a mission, she wore it on a necklace under her Supergirl outfit.

 

“You can, as long as you’re not trying to undress me with your eyes.” Alex leaned herself against the desk next to her and gave Kara a challenging look. “We’re at work.”

 

“Yes, we are,” Kara whispered, sauntering over to Alex and placing her hands on the desk, effectively trapping Alex.

 

“You had plenty of time to undress me during our honeymoon,” Alex replied, tapping her right pointer finger against Kara’s nose. “But I need to focus at work and your bedroom eyes are very distracting.”

 

They’d never actively tried to hide their relationship.

 

And even if someone were to come in, they wouldn’t find anything strange about their squabbling in close quarters.

 

“You find me distracting, Alex-El?” Kara grinned and bumped their shoes together.

 

“Very, _very_ distracting, Mrs. Danvers,” Alex whispered, her eyes flicking down to Kara’s lips. “Which is why I’m afraid I’ll have to ban you from my lab until I’m done with my testing.” She stole the smallest of kisses from Kara’s mouth. “I can’t have you around while you’re still hopped up on post-marriage hormones.”

 

Giggling, Kara pressed their foreheads together and wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist.

 

“Maybe you’re the one with the post-marriage hormones. It doesn’t usually bother you when I ravish you with my eyes.” Kara’s breath smelled vaguely of the candy she’d had a few minutes ago. Sweet.

 

Alex needed to focus.

 

“You drive me crazy,” Alex murmured, grabbing Kara by the front of her Supergirl suit and pushing her further away from her. “Which is why you need to go. Right now.”

 

To her great credit, Kara didn’t even pout.

 

She seemed to understand perfectly why Alex was asking her to go.

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered, pressing another quick kiss against Alex’s lips.

 

“Love you, too,” Alex replied, watching Kara walk away.

 

With a dumb grin, she went back to work.

 

-

 

The car in front of Kara shuddered as she punched her fist against it.

 

“Nice jab!” came a voice from next to her, making Kara turn around with a small smile.

 

“Wanna try your luck?” she asked, patting the hood of the car she’d just been pummeling. “Alex banned me from the lab. Did Winn get the blue kryptonite to her? Because if he didn’t, I might be allowed back.”

 

Mon-El shrugged apologetically.

 

“We carried two boxes of the stuff upstairs. Sorry to disappoint you,” he said, throwing a punch that wasn’t nearly as powerful as Kara’s at the car. Still, it left a pretty sizable dent, and Kara was proud to see how much he’d evolved since he’d arrived on Earth. “Well… I carried the boxes. Winn just kind of complained.”

 

Smiling, Kara threw another punch.

 

“Alex has been teasing him. I think she’s starting to see him as the little brother she never had. It’s really cute.” Her heart beat faster at the thought of Alex taking her best friend under her wing. It was absolutely amazing and Kara loved to see them interact.

 

“Yeah, your sister’s pretty cool,” Mon-El replied, throwing three jabs in quick succession. The sound reverberated off the walls. “She talked me through some of the procedures you guys had to perform on me after I got infected with that poison.”

 

His eyes took on a dreamy quality and Kara furrowed her brows.

 

“Yeah, she wanted you to know what ended up saving your life,” she said, watching as Mon-El threw another couple of punches. “She’s considerate that way.”

 

“And hot,” Mon-El observed, giving Kara a grin. “Do you know if she is mated to anyone?”

 

It took Kara several seconds to process his question.

 

“Winn told me that she is not, but that he also wasn’t sure if she would be interested in someone like me. Someone with my parts; I’m not exactly sure what he meant by that.” He placed his hands at his hips and gave her a questioning look.

 

Giggles burst from Kara’s throat, so loud she had to clamp a hand over her mouth.

 

He gave her a quizzical look.

 

“Sorry,” Kara replied through her giggles. “It’s just.” She laughed again. “Imagining you hitting on Alex is priceless. She’d probably punch you in the face.” Kara wiped away a tear. “And yeah, she’s mated to someone else already.”

 

Kara didn’t dignify Winn’s comments about the ‘parts’ with a response.

 

“Plus Alex is a lesbian, so she doesn’t want to mate with men,” Kara continued, softly patting Mon-El’s shoulder.

 

He nodded.

 

“I’m glad I asked you before I talked to her about it,” Mon-El said, shaking his head.

 

“Yeah, like I said, she probably would have punched you.” Kara patted his arm again. “Maybe you should ask Winn if he wants to mate with you. I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed.” She gave him a wink and he shrugged.

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon beating up the old car.

 

-

 

“Mon-El asked me if you were mated today,” Kara whispered, breathing just returning to normal after the orgasm Alex had just given her.

 

Alex groaned.

 

“Can we not talk about him while we’re naked?” Alex asked, snuggling further into Kara’s bare chest and throwing her leg across Kara’s hips. “I was just thinking about going another round, but that completely ruined it for me.”

 

Kara giggled.

 

“Liar. I can tell how tired you are,” Kara said, rolling Alex onto her back. Sliding a leg in between both of Alex’s, Kara pressed their bodies together, her hips rolling back and forth. “And I thought you might like to know that you made someone else fall in love with you.”

 

Whimpering, Alex arched her back when Kara pushed against her wetness.

 

“You’re the only one who’s supposed to be in love with me,” she groaned, nails digging into Kara’s back. “And I really do need you to stop. I’m exhausted.” Rubbing her eyes, she gave Kara a small peck.

 

“I know,” Kara whispered, ceasing her grinding. “I was just teasing you.” She rested her on her hand. “But seriously, though. I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in months. He was honestly going to ask you out.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex let out a breath of frustration.

 

“I guess that’s the problem with no one knowing we’re married. I can’t just tell them that my wife Supergirl is going to beat them up if they don’t leave me alone.” She smiled, her fingers running along Kara’s spine.

 

“We could just tell everyone,” Kara replied, her free hand stroking Alex’s hair. “It’s not like anyone’s going to care.” She shuddered. “J’onn might get a bit angry that we didn’t invite him, but…” Kara frowned. “Actually… a lot of people might be angry about that.”

 

With a great sigh, Alex let her hands slide down to Kara’s ass.

 

“I don’t know…” she said, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

 

Leaning down, Kara pressed her lips against her wife’s face. From her eyelids to her cheek to her nose down to her mouth.

 

“Your mom won’t care,” she murmured, moving her lips down to Alex’s chin. “And even if she does, she always comes around. She’s not going to disown you for falling in love with a wayward alien.”

 

Alex gnawed on her bottom lip until Kara kissed her again.

 

“I’ve been thinking about telling people for a while,” Kara admitted, hoping that the weight of her body would anchor Alex. “I want to tell people that you’re my wife. I want my colleagues to see us at events and go ‘oh yeah, Kara brought her wife’.”

 

It had never mattered before, and Kara knew that if Alex didn’t want anyone else to know she’d be fine with what they had now. But it was worth a try, at least. She knew her wife worried about what other people thought much more than she did.

 

“Can we… can we take it slow?” Alex asked, still not looking at Kara.

 

“Of course,” Kara reassured her, leaving a few more kisses on Alex’s cheek.

 

“Thank you,” Alex husked, cupping her wife’s cheeks with her hands. “I love you.”

 

Kara smiled.

  
“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! can you imagine what Alex would have done if Mon-El had actually asked her out on the show tho? massacre
> 
> thanks to beagles for betaing :D
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	9. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Threesome/Poly Relationship" [Alex x Kara (but with a twist); Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "When there is a disturbance in Kansas, Alex and Kara leave National City to investigate."

“There was a disturbance somewhere in Kansas,” Winn reported from his computer, twiddling his pen with his fingers. James was seated next to him, a fond expression on his face. “Looks to be pretty close to Smallville.”

 

Perking up at the news, Kara clapped her hands together while Alex watched on with amusement.

 

“We can go visit Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan,” Kara told Alex, her eyes lighting up with happiness. “I haven’t had time to see them in ages. It’s going to be so awesome.” She grinned widely.

 

“What kind of disturbance?” Alex asked, raising her eyebrow at her sister’s excitement.

 

“Pretty much the same disturbance as that time Barry came to fetch Kara,” Winn replied, showing them the two squiggly lines on his desktop. “You see that? The key elements are the same, but there’s just enough of a difference to distinguish them from one another.”

 

Alex saw nothing but a jumbled mess.

 

“Guess that means you’re flying me to Kansas,” Alex told Kara, already hurrying over to her lab to get her jacket. Flying with Kara was nice, but Alex tended to get cold during longer flights. “And we should try to get there as quickly as possible. If our new guest or guests are as fast as Barry, they could be anywhere in a couple of seconds.”

 

“I’ll come with you,” J’onn said, already morphing into his true Martian self. “Just in case.”

 

“I’ll mobilize our DEO units in Kansas,” Vasquez said, already tapping away on their tablet. “And maybe some local law enforcement.” Their fingers flew over the tiny screen to ensure that Kara, J’onn and Alex would have some backup.

 

“Alright, let’s go,” Alex said, slapping Kara on the shoulder. “Up, up and away.”

 

James kicked at her.

 

“That’s my line,” he complained, grinning when she rolled her eyes at him.

 

Ever since he’d become the Guardian, he’d spent more time at the DEO and while Alex didn’t exactly hate his presence, he tended to distract Winn from his work. Alex didn’t like working with people who slacked off.

 

“Come on,” Kara said, sliding her arms around Alex’s waist. “No more squabbling.”

 

Not even bothering to dignify her words with a response, Alex wrapped her own arms around Kara’s neck and held on tightly as she was whisked out of the control room and into the open air of National City.

 

Time for a long and only slightly terrifying ride.

 

-

 

“I can see it,” Kara called out to J’onn, her fingers tightening on Alex’s back. “There’s a smoldering crater down there in that cornfield!” She flew even faster, hoping that whatever had come through the portal was still inside. “Let’s hope we’re not too late!”

 

J’onn shot ahead of them, circling the crater and looking for any sign of life.

 

Kara sat down next to it, gently placing Alex back on the ground so her sister could pull her weapon.

 

“Smoke’s too heavy,” Alex complained, eyes looking back and forth from one end of the crater to the other. “Can’t see a damn thing in this.” She pulled out one of the DEO’s special devices and checked if there was a heat signature. “But there’s definitely something in there.”

 

Stepping forward, Kara gently clapped Alex on the shoulder.

 

“I’ve got this,” she said. For a second, Alex wasn’t quite sure what Kara was doing - she was just standing there - but then, she realized that Kara was pulling in as much air as possible to blow away the smoke.

 

It took less than ten seconds.

 

“Holy shit,” Alex whispered, letting the DEO’s device sink back into her pocket.

 

“Wow,” Kara mumbled, her voice just as speechless.

 

Without waiting for any more feedback, Alex started sliding down the edges of the crater. The earth was still warm, but Kara’s huge blast of air had cooled it off enough that it could no longer sting Alex’s fingers with its heat.

 

“Alex!” J’onn called out from above just as Alex reached the bloodied and beaten figure at the bottom of the hole. The blonde hair was cut into the shape of a bob, as far as Alex could tell, and her red and blue uniform was ripped and bloody.

 

She seemed to be unconscious.

 

Alex’s hands cupped the other woman’s cheeks. They, too, were warm, and as Alex leaned down, she heard the soft sounds of breaths. A quick press to the other woman’s jugular revealed a steady heartbeat.

 

“Alex,” Kara said, suddenly kneeling next to her. “She…”

 

“Yeah,” Alex said, holding up the back of the other woman’s neck before curling her right hand around her waist. She felt almost fragile like this, even though Alex knew from experience that she wasn’t.

 

At least not if she was like Kara.

 

“She’s opening her eyes!” Alex gasped, gathering the other woman closer and leaning over her so the first thing she saw would be a friendly face. If she even knew who Alex was. She only hoped this woman wasn’t from the evil universe that Barry had told them about.

 

“Wha-” the other woman tried to say, her body trembling as it desperately tried to knit itself back together after what must have been a horrible fight. “Wher-” She blinked up at Alex, who tried to put as much empathy as she possibly could onto her face.

 

“I’m Alex Danvers,” Alex said, holding the woman closer to herself to give her some reassurance. “You’re on Earth and you’re with friends. We’re with the DEO. You’re safe with us. We won’t hurt you.” She felt emboldened when she felt Kara place her hand on her shoulder. “Can you tell us what happened to you?”

 

While she tried to speak, the other woman’s eyes lingered on Alex’s.

 

“Take your time,” Alex whispered, watching as the wounds on the other woman’s face slowly started to close up.

 

When she was mostly healed up, the other woman lifted her hand to clutch at Alex’s collar. Her hand was still trembling, but the color was slowly returning to her features and her feet weren’t twitching with pain anymore.

 

“Thank… you…” she gasped. “My name… is…” She coughed, but at least there was no blood spurting out from her lips. “My name is Kara Zor-L.” With Alex’s help, she sat up, her eyes growing wide when she spotted Alex’s Kara.

 

“I know, right?” Kara said, squeezing the other woman’s knee. “Like looking into a window from the future. Er--past for you, I guess. You were transported to another Earth through a portal. Do you remember how you got here?”

 

The other Kara looked around herself, which was when she spotted J’onn standing over her. A stark look of recognition came over her features, meaning that her universe had probably had a Martian Manhunter of its very own.

 

Clutching her head, the other Kara leaned heavily against Alex’s side.

 

Alex was only all too happy to steady her.

 

“We fought…” the other Kara whispered, rubbing her eyes. “Kal-L tried to stop him…” Alex spotted flecks of tears underneath the other Kara’s hand. “Flash pulled me into the portal just as…” The first tear trickled down her cheek. “My home…”

 

Alex didn’t need to hear any more.

 

She had a pretty good idea of what had happened to this Kara’s Earth, and she wished she could take it back. Reaching out, she pulled the other Kara into a tight hug. Even if this wasn’t her sister, she still felt compelled to protect her and keep her close.

 

For a moment, none of them said anything.

 

Then, a DEO-issued black SUV pulled up outside of the crater.

 

If the six agents who left the vehicle were at all surprised to see two Karas in the crater, they were hiding it well. A moment later, two more vehicles showed up to the scene, but J’onn simply told them to wait with a simple hand-gesture.

 

“Do you think you can stand?” Alex asked, softly rubbing the other Kara’s back under her cape. “We can drive you to the nearest DEO facility and take care of you there, if you don’t feel ready to fly on your own.”

 

The other Kara shook her head.

 

“It’s alright,” she said, letting go of Alex’s collar so she could push herself to her feet. She wobbled terribly, and Alex wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. With her help, the other Kara stood on her feet a bit shakily, her hand clutching Alex’s bicep. “Thank you.”

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“Of course,” she said, looking to her own Kara, who was watching her fondly. Then Alex looked back to J’onn. “Maybe you can take her. I’d feel more comfortable examining her in my own lab back in National City.”

 

With a hum, J’onn nodded and took hold of the other Kara’s free arm. His touch was gentle and the other Kara smiled at him tentatively.

 

“Can you fly me up the crater?” Alex asked Kara, already wrapping her arm around her sister’s neck. “I need to tell the others what happened and what they need to do now.”

 

Kara nodded and took off.

 

-

 

Kara Zor-L was asleep.

 

She was laid out on one of the sunlight dispensers while Alex worked on checking out her vital signs. She’d also taken some of the other Kara’s blood to see if she’d caught anything from the fight on the other Earth.

 

Her own Kara was outside fighting another one of Cadmus’s schemes, but she’d told Alex to stay put and care for their new guest. A guest that would likely end up being much more permanent than Barry had been.

 

The other Kara hadn’t spoken much more before Alex had strapped her to the device and injected a Kryptonian sleeping agent into her bloodstream to help her recover. By the time she woke up, Alex was sure she’d be back to full strength.

 

From what Alex had gathered, however, it seemed likely that the other Earth was no more, and Alex had a feeling she would do well to call their in-house psychologist. After all, this Kara likely hadn’t just lost one home planet, but two.

 

And just because she was on this Earth now didn’t mean that the grief she felt would be of a lesser magnitude.

 

Scribbling down some notes, Alex adjusted Kara Zor-L’s IV bag.

 

“Hey..:” the other Kara mumbled sluggishly.

 

“Hey,” Alex replied, sitting down on a stool next to the other Kara. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Better,” the other Kara said, looking around herself and obviously relieved to still be in the same place. She likely hadn’t been completely sure whether or not she could trust them, but Alex knew it would take some time for all of them. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

 

“It’s alright.” Alex reached out and took her hand. “You don’t have to keep thanking me. It’s all in a day’s work.” Smiling kindly, Alex put down her clipboard so she could place her other hand on Kara’s arm. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

 

Instead of thanking Alex again, the other Kara sat up.

 

“Your wife must be very happy to have you,” she said, squeezing Alex’s hand before letting go.

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex racked her brain for what the other Kara could be talking about.

 

“My wife?” she asked, wondering to herself when she’d gotten married without her knowledge.

 

“Oh, yeah, the other me… I’m sorry, I just assumed. The way you took care of me and how you speak to her…” The other Kara grimaced. “I misinterpreted the situation.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

 

Now blushing, Alex laughed half-heartedly.

 

“It’s alright; people think that all the time.” Alex had never been particularly interested in figuring out _why_ everybody thought she and Kara were married. That would have led to things that Alex wasn’t ready for. “You couldn’t have known. She’s my foster sister. We grew up together after Kara came to Earth. I love her more than anything, so I guess it’s easy to mistake that as something else.”

 

Nodding seriously, the other Kara took Alex’s hand again.

 

“That is very good to know,” she said, her look strangely intense, causing Alex’s blush to crawl down her neck. “Do you know where I could stay while I’m settled in? Does the DEO have rooms for people who got transported here from a different universe?”

 

Pushing away the feeling of heat settling in her chest, Alex pushed herself to her feet.

 

“I was thinking you could stay with either me or Kara until you know what our world is like. I don’t know how similar our Earths are and I don’t want you to run into any situations you’re not equipped to handle.” Alex helped the other Kara to untangle all of the wires that were wrapped around her body, and carefully removed the IV.

 

“I would love to stay with you, if I could,” Kara replied, smiling as she got to her feet. She was standing very close to Alex now. “And I think it’s going to get very confusing if we keep calling me and your Kara by the same name.”

 

“Do you have another name in mind?” Alex took a step away under the guise of cleaning up the solar dispenser for its next use. There was something very strange and very flattering about how the other Kara looked at her and it made Alex more than a little uncomfortable.

 

But not in a bad way.

 

“I used the alias Karen Starr on my Earth,” the other Kara said, placing her hands at her hips. “Why not use it here, right?” She smiled, but Alex could tell how emotionally exhausted she still was.

 

“Karen,” Alex repeated, reaching out and squeezing the other Kara’s arm. “Sounds good to me. I’ll let the others know. We’ll get you a proper ID and everything else you need. You can stay with me for as long as you like until we can find you your own apartment.”

 

With a smile, Karen leaned forward to give Alex a small kiss on the cheek.

 

“I know you said not to thank you anymore, but honestly… thank you so much,” she said, rounding the solar dispenser and wrapping her arms around Alex in a tight hug. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

 

Placing her chin on Karen’s shoulder, Alex gently rubbed her back.

 

“We’ll help you figure it out together. I promise,” she murmured, closing her eyes and trying to remind herself that this wasn’t her Kara. They were similar in personality, but this Kara was older. More mature. And when she looked at Alex… there was something that Alex couldn’t quite put her finger on.

 

Something that made her feel weird and warm inside.

 

And she wasn’t sure if that was because of Karen… or because of Kara…

 

-

 

“This is my place,” Alex said, opening up her door and waving her hand around at her apartment. Karen and Kara were right behind her. “You can take the bedroom for the next few weeks. I have a pretty comfortable couch.”

 

They’d put Karen into some DEO-issued cargo-pants and a black polo shirt. The effect was quite striking and Alex wondered why the small touches and kind looks from the woman had her so goddamn rattled.

 

Meanwhile, Kara was both happy and devastated.

 

She was glad to have Karen around - the two got on famously - but she hated that Karen’s world had to be destroyed for her to join their world in the first place. Kara knew what it was like to lose her people… but to lose them twice?

 

“No, I can’t take your bed from you,” Karen protested, rubbing her hand along Alex’s shoulder blades. “I’ll take the couch.” She looked around at the apartment, her eyes taking in the small intricacies of the room around her.

 

“Or the two of you could just share,” Kara suggested, completely oblivious to her sister’s blushing face. Alex and Kara shared a bed all the time. They’d shared their beds with one another since they were teenagers. “It’s not like your bed isn’t big enough.”

 

Alex grinned painfully.

 

“I’m sure Karen would prefer to sleep alone right now,” Alex said, trying to keep her stutter in check. “She doesn’t need me kicking her in the shins all night.” She walked over to the fridge. “Do either of you want anything to drink?”

 

Time to deflect.

 

Kara pouted but Karen gave Alex a small, knowing look.

 

“I’d like a beer, please,” Karen said, surprising both of the Danvers sisters.

 

“Here you go,” Alex said, pulling out one of her beer bottles. Then, she gave Kara a questioning look. “Do you want anything? I have juice, cokes… or I could make you a tea.” She pulled a bottle of beer out for herself.

 

“Yeah, a coke would be good,” Kara replied, accepting the cool bottle when Alex handed it to her. Then, Kara turned to Karen. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here with just you and Alex? I can stay and keep the two of you company.”

 

Karen smiled.

 

“Thanks, but I think we’ll be okay,” she said, giving Kara a side-hug before ruffling her hair. “But I can’t wait to get lunch with you tomorrow. I am very interested in these sticky buns you told me about.”

 

“I still can’t believe you didn’t have those on your Earth,” Kara bemoaned, trying to right her hair after Karen’s assault. It was cool to have an older version of herself around. Kind of like a different big sister. “I’ll take you to Noonan’s tomorrow. I promise.”

 

Winking, Karen gave her a thumbs up.

 

“Can’t wait.” Then, she gave Alex another one of those intense looks. “Do I get to spend time with the other Danvers sister tomorrow? Maybe you can take me to dinner after I’ve talked with your in-house psychiatrist. I could really use the distraction.”

 

Alex gulped.

 

“Um, yeah, sure,” she said, playing with the ends of her hair.

 

Kara watched the interaction with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Great,” Karen said, sipping on her beer.

 

Trying to dissolve the weird tension in the room, Kara rounded the counter and patted Alex on the back. Something was going on with Karen and Alex, and Kara couldn’t quite figure out what that was.

 

“Let’s check and see which of our movies you did and didn’t have on your Earth, Karen,” Kara said, pushing Alex forward. “Oh, and I bet it would be really fun to watch movies that did exist and see how they’re different.”

 

Karen chuckled, then followed the two to the couch.

 

“I think Alex should sit in the middle,” she said, just as Kara was about to sit down. “I think it’d be great if we made an Alex sandwich.” Her smile was completely innocent, and Alex wasn’t sure if the innuendo had been intended to sound quite as dirty as it did.

 

Besides… there was no reason for Alex to think that there would or _should_ ever be something sexual between her, her sister, and her sister’s doppelganger. That was simply out of the question, and Alex’s mother would be rolling in her grave… if she were dead.

 

Once Alex had sat down, she tried not to think too much about how Kara immediately snuggling into her side while she zapped through Netflix’s collection of movies made her feel. And she especially didn’t ponder why it felt so good to have Karen curl herself against Alex’s other side.

 

She did have two shoulders after all.

 

There was no reason why she couldn’t give both lost Kryptonian daughters some comfort.

 

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this needed a part 2, so I'm going to write one. hope you enjoyed! This is mostly the fault of JoyfulTemplar, who had this idea and came to me with it (after beagles brought us together). Everybody go read People Gonna Talk.
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	10. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Threesome/Poly Relationship" [Alex x Kara (with a twist); Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara and Karen go out to lunch."

Lying awake, Alex tried not to think about why the other side of her bed was so deliciously warm. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what she was doing. She’d slept in the same bed as Kara hundreds of times. Thousands, maybe - over the years.

 

And yet…

 

“You seem tense,” Karen murmured. Alex couldn’t see her now, but when she’d slipped under the covers several minutes ago, Karen had already lain on her back, and Alex hadn’t heard her move since. “Are you sure this is alright? I can still take the couch.”

 

Sighing inwardly, Alex turned onto her back as well.

 

“I’m fine,” she lied, turning her head to the side to look at Karen’s profile. She looked gorgeous like this in the moonlight, and the sight made Alex’s heart beat faster, even though Alex had absolutely no clue why she was feeling this way.

 

This was _Kara_.

 

Sure, Karen looked about ten years older - even by Kryptonian standards - but there was something different about the way she talked. How she carried herself. There was a certain level of confidence - like she knew _exactly_ who she was.

 

The prospect was exciting.

 

Alex and Kara both had no idea who they really were yet.

 

When Karen turned onto her side to look at Alex, her face was cast in shadows.

 

“I was serious about you taking me to dinner tomorrow,” she said, reaching out and placing her hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I don’t know how I’m going to feel after my first session, but I think seeing a friendly face might help.”

 

Alex’s heart sped into overdrive.

 

“Of course,” she replied, voice almost too quiet. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Do you want me to bring Kara? I’m sure she’d want to be there for you, too.” She didn’t dare put her own hand over Karen’s.

 

Tomorrow she’d have to do some very deep soul searching. It was simply unacceptable that Karen made her feel the same way Maggie had the first time Alex had met her. That sense of wonder and fresh excitement.

 

“Do you think she’s going to be very upset if I ask her to stay at the DEO?” Karen asked, sounding truly worried that she was going to hurt her other self’s feelings. She might have been more mature than Kara, but she wasn’t any less sweet for it. “I don’t know if I can look at myself tomorrow.”

 

Her chest swelling with empathy, Alex turned onto her side and curled their fingers together in between their bodies.

 

 _Bad idea, Alex_ , she told herself. _Boundaries are good. Remember what mom used to say. You can love Kara as much as you want, but you have to remember that she’s your sister. You always have to remember that she’s your sister. Karen is no different_.

 

“I’ll explain everything to my sister,” Alex reassured her, using the familial connection to force her own emotions down further. “I know she’ll understand. She might want to spend some time with you after dinner, though. At my apartment.”

 

Kara had been so excited the entire evening. Every change in Karen’s favorite movies had been discussed, and while Alex wasn’t particularly fond of romantic comedies herself, she’d loved to see the two of them be so excited.

 

“That’s alright,” Karen responded, squeezing Alex’s fingers gently. “I just need a couple of hours to pretend that everything is fine and my world… well, you know.” That her world hadn’t exploded in a shower of fiery rain and debris.

 

“I understand.” It took everything inside of Alex not to reach out to cup Karen’s cheek.

 

This was bad.

 

-

 

Bouncing around excitedly, Kara had her hands wrapped tightly around Karen’s bicep.

 

“ _Noonan’s_ is a great place,” Kara babbled, more than a little excited to be out and about with her new… well… with her new version of herself. “Alex doesn’t really like it, but she always caves in the end anyway. You just need to use your pout on her and she’ll do anything.”

 

Karen raised one eyebrow.

 

“Anything? That’s interesting,” she said, a secretive smile flitting over her lips. “It’s really sweet how the two of you take care of one another. I wish I could have had something like that growing up.” Her face seemed to fissure with pain. “Clark tried, but he had his own life, you know?”

 

Squeezing her older self’s arm, Kara nodded.

 

“Yeah. I don’t know what I would’ve done without Alex. She had to teach me all sorts of things when I got here. I didn’t know how to do anything human.” Kara thought back to the first time she’d seen that hated popcorn machine. The only reason she’d even come out from her hiding place had been because Alex had talked her down.

 

“She sounds like a real catch. I can’t believe she’s still single,” Karen said, shaking her head. “Someone who looks like her and _loves_ like her.” She made a disgusted noise. “How isn’t she beating people off with a stick?”

 

Kara sighed.

 

“I think it’s my fault,” she murmured, opening up _Noonan’s_ front door so they could both walk inside. “Alex only recently realized she’s a lesbian, ‘cause her entire life has always revolved around me.” Having Karen here was nice, because Kara didn’t feel like she had to hide anything from her. “Every conversation was always about my powers and how I’m doing.”

 

Humming in understanding, Karen took off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair.

 

“So she’s too busy loving you to love anybody else?” she asked, sitting down just as Kara started taking off her own coat. The words made Kara pause and think. “Have you ever thought about taking your relationship to the next level?”

 

Kara’s mouth dropped open and a stark blush colored her cheeks.

 

“The next level?” She giggled - which, in this case, was much more of a defense mechanism than anything else. “She’s my sister.”

 

With a shrug, Karen picked up the menu.

 

“It’s not like it’d be weird. You’re from Krypton, she’s from Earth,” she shrugged. “If I spent my entire life hanging around someone like that, I’d definitely have fallen in love with them. Especially when I was your age. I wish I’d ended up dating anyone who loved me as much as Alex loves you.”

 

Still staring gormlessly, Kara finally sat down on her chair.

 

“Ugh, I love chocolate milkshakes,” Karen moaned, her eyes fixed on the menu, seemingly oblivious to Kara’s internal crisis. “I’m so glad chocolate exists in this universe. I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

 

When Kara didn’t say anything, Karen looked up at her.

 

“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching across the table and taking Kara’s hand. “Did I make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry. I’m not saying you need to develop feelings that aren’t there. It’s just my opinion that your sister is really attractive.”

 

Kara waved her off.

 

“What? What? I’m fine,” she sputtered, waving over one of the waitresses so they could place their order. “It’s totally fine that you think-- actually,” Kara leaned forward, “it’s weird. It’s really weird.”

 

A fond smile spread over Karen’s lips.

 

“You remind me so much of myself when I was your age.” She placed her chin in her hand.

 

“Well,” Kara said, gnarling her fingers together in her lap. “We are the same person, technically. Sort of.”

 

After they’d placed their orders (a healthy amount of sticky buns and two chocolate milkshakes), Kara started fiddling with her napkin. The thought that another version of herself could find Alex attractive was astonishing to her.

 

After another few minutes of awkward silence, Karen let out a small sigh.

 

Instead of avoiding the issue, like Kara would have done, she smiled kindly and started talking.

 

“Out with it,” she said, folding her hands on top of the table.

 

“I’m fine,” Kara hedged, trying not to let her discomfort show too badly on her face. Sadly, her other self seemed to know all of her little tells, and Kara sighed. “It’s just weird, like I said. ‘Cause… you’re _me_ , and if you think Alex is attractive in, like, a _romantic_ way…” She screwed up her face. “Yeah, weird. You can’t ask out our sister.”

 

“You do know we’re not literally the same person, right?” Karen asked softly, taking Kara’s shredded napkin out of her hands. “Just because I think she’s hot doesn’t mean you have to. I know I could never look at Clark that way.” She shrugged. “And we only just met each other. It probably isn’t even going to go anywhere.”

 

Kara’s face seemed to turn into piping hot lava.

 

“And she’s not _my_ sister,” Karen tacked on. “Right now, she’s an attractive stranger who held me in her strong arms when I was almost dead.” A dreamy look came over her features that made her seem almost as young as Kara. “I thought I was going to faint again when I saw her leaning over me. And she’s really cute, too.”

 

This was not a conversation that Kara had envisioned ever having with her other self.

 

Not in a million years.

 

“You’re not making this any less weird,” she whispered, wishing she still had her napkin.

 

“Relax, Kara,” Karen said with a grin. “She might not even like me back. And now that she knows she’s a lesbian, the girls are going to be lining up around the block to go out with her. The older version of her sister probably isn’t even on her radar.”

 

But Kara couldn’t relax, and she wasn’t sure if it was because the thought of Alex with _Karen_ weirded her out, or if it was because the thought of Alex with _anyone_ weirded her out.

 

And she didn’t want to think about what that implied.

 

-

 

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Alex called out as she spotted Kara walking along the lab. In her haste, Kara hadn’t even so much as looked over, which was weird because Kara usually stopped by for a chat or to say hi. “It’s about dinner tonight.”

 

When she walked inside, Kara looked almost like a deer caught in the headlights, and Alex narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Something was definitely up with her sister.

 

“I know you really wanted to come with me and Karen,” Alex started, getting up from her desk chair and placing her hands at her hips. “But I think it’d be good for her if she could pretend that everything’s fine and that her planet didn’t actually explode after she was forced to talk about it for an hour.”

 

Kara didn’t seem to be listening.

 

“I don’t think that can happen when she’s looking at herself, you know?” Alex tried again, reaching out and taking Kara’s hand. There was definitely something wrong. “Are you okay? You look pale. Did you come into contact with any kryptonite?”

 

Before Kara could move, Alex had slipped her hand into her pocket to pull out her tiny flashlight. A second later, she was shining it directly into Kara’s eyes to check for pupil dilation. Everything seemed to be normal, and Kara’s response in slapping her away with her hands indicated that her motor functions were okay.

 

“I’m fine,” Kara protested, a pout stretching over her lips. “You know I hate it when you do that.”

 

“Just trying to make sure you’re okay,” Alex defended herself, raising one of her eyebrows at Kara’s defensiveness. “Did anything happen between you and Karen? Did she tell you some sort of life altering secret about how she manages to make her hair look so much shinier than yours?”

 

Even though the comment had been meant to tease, Kara looked honestly wounded.

 

“You think my hair isn’t as shiny?” She pulled it in front of her face, looking down at her beautiful blonde hair that Alex loved to play with when they were watching movies together.

 

“I was kidding,” Alex said gently, pulling Kara’s hair out of her fingers. “You both have equally shiny hair.” She frowned and rubbed Kara’s shoulders. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you need a hug.”

 

Opening her arms, Alex was relieved when Kara slipped into her embrace.

 

“You know, it’s alright for you to be upset about what happened to Karen,” Alex murmured, running her hands along Kara’s back. “And it’s okay if you’re a little upset that she’s here. I’m sure it can’t be easy to know there’s another you in the same universe now.”

 

Kara pressed her forehead against Alex’s shoulder.

 

“I’m really okay,” she mumbled, her nails digging almost painfully into Alex’s back. “I just really love you… and I’m so grateful that you’re always there for me.”

 

Those words only made Alex more worried.

 

“You sound like you’re about to go away again,” she said, pulling away and frowning at her sister. “You’re not planning on pushing another Fort Rozz into space, are you? Because I’m not above flying Mon-El’s ship up into space after I crashed yours.”

 

Finally, Kara’s smile seemed genuine.

 

“No more self-sacrifice, I promise,” she said, squeezing Alex’s arms. “At least not right now.” She ignored Alex’s skeptical look. “Talking to Karen just reminded me not to take you for granted, that’s all.”

 

Alex raised one of her eyebrows.

 

“Maybe I should show up tonight with a box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers, if she managed to make you appreciate me more,” she teased, loving the idea of Karen’s surprised face already.

 

Then again… she didn’t want to send the wrong message.

 

 _Sisters_ , Alex reminded herself.

 

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Kara protested, suddenly back to her weird behavior.

 

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, trying not to blush as she thought about the fact that Karen was wearing some of her own clothes. It would feel wrong to entertain the idea of somehow making it seem even more like they were dating. Or anything else of the sort. “I should probably just stick to picking her up.”

 

Kara nodded insistently.

 

“Great idea,” she said, awkwardly patting Alex’s shoulder. “And I should really get going. I promised Mon-El I’d teach him how to flip people over who are stronger than him. You know how eager he is to train.”

 

He wasn’t, but Alex didn’t try to call her sister out on it.

 

There was still something going on with her, but Alex had her own problems to worry about in the form of another, more mature version of her sister. A version who had looked so adorable in one of Alex’s sweaters.

 

“For sure,” Alex replied, giving Kara a thumbs up, something she almost never did unless she was feeling uncomfortable and at a loss for words. Apparently, though, Kara didn’t pick up on Alex’s weirdness either.

  
Before Alex knew what else to say, Kara was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see you tomorrow for part 3! hope you enjoyed!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing :)
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	11. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 3]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt/Word: "Threesome or Poly relationship" [Alex x Kara (with a twist); Mild angst]
> 
> Summary: "Alex has a hard time dealing with her feelings. So does Kara."

A week later, Kara was still acting strangely.

 

She’d spent most of her time hanging out with Karen, which Alex took to mean that whatever was bothering her probably didn’t have anything to do with her older self. Alex frequently saw them at the DEO, laughing and chatting.

 

At least until five PM rolled around every day.

 

After Karen’s sessions with the in-house psychiatrist, she tended not to want to spend any time with Kara. More than once, she’d ended up with Alex in her lab, just sitting in a desk chair and staring off into space.

 

She’d talked to Alex a bit about what her Earth had been like, but she hadn’t as of yet gone into detail about any of the people she cared about. There had been no in depth mention of Kal-L, Martian Manhunter or her version of The Flash.

 

Alex didn’t begrudge her the silence. After Alex’s father had died, she hadn’t spoken to anyone about him for weeks. The fact that Karen was willing to talk to their psychiatrist Melissa at all was extremely brave, and it filled Alex with a deep sense of affection and respect.

 

“Can you hand me a beer?” Karen asked, turning over another page in her book. “I’m too comfortable.” For emphasis, she snuggled even further into the couch, before lifting her feet off of Alex’s thighs.

 

“I’m comfortable, too,” Alex protested, looking up from the DEO files she’d brought home with her. One of Cadmus’s most recent operations made Alex want to scratch her head in confusion. It simply made no sense.

 

“Please?” Karen asked, pouting just the tiniest bit.

 

Alex clenched her jaw. Obviously Kara had taught Karen how to get around Alex’s otherwise _impenetrable_ defenses.

 

“Fine,” she said, getting up to her feet and walking over to the fridge. Maybe it was also the fact that Karen was still wearing Alex’s clothes (a pair of sweatpants and a comfortable jumper). She’d claimed the day before that she hadn’t had time to go shopping, but Alex figured she probably just liked nicking Alex’s stuff. “That’s not going to work every time.”

 

Humming in faux-innocence, Karen smiled to herself, a sight so beautiful Alex almost forgot why she’d gotten up in the first place.

 

Moments like that had been happening more frequently the last couple of days - and to Alex’s great shock, not just with Karen. Sure, there was a difference between the way Karen looked at her and spoke to her, but she was still _Kara_. Underneath that blonde bob sat a mind that deeply resembled her sister’s and it was freaking Alex’s socks off that she’d been entertaining… thoughts.

 

“Here you go,” Alex said, handing over Karen’s beer before slumping back down onto the couch.

 

“My favorite brand?” Karen asked, grinning brightly as she took a sip. “Thanks.” Her voice dropped to a warm drawl and Alex tried not to let it affect her. There was no way in hell that Karen Starr was flirting with her. No. Way.

 

Shrugging, Alex tried to focus her mind back on the file.

 

When Karen put down her beer and book, Alex looked back up. There was a strange look in her eyes, and Alex gulped as she watched those strong legs curl up under Karen’s body. Before Alex could form another thought, Karen had scooted over to her.

 

“I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of me,” she whispered, leaning in and cupping Alex’s cheek. “I honestly don’t know if I would’ve been able to pull through on my own if I couldn’t have come home to see you every day after my sessions.”

 

Alex was pretty sure she wasn’t breathing.

 

“Of course,” she said, digging her nails into her thighs. “I told you. All in a day’s work.”

 

Smiling sadly, Karen moved forward to press her lips tenderly against Alex’s cheek. The kiss lasted for a good couple of seconds and Alex closed her eyes at the strange new feelings taking root in her chest.

 

“You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and I’ve been to a couple of different universes,” Karen husked, the warm breath on Alex’s skin causing goosebumps to erupt on her arms. She’d never been more glad to be wearing a sweater. “I told Kara I don’t know how you’re still single.”

 

Next, Karen curled both arms around Alex’s body and held her close while she rested her head on Alex’s shoulder. The warm feeling didn’t dissipate. It spread through every single one of Alex’s extremities and seemed to fill her head with cotton.

 

Thinking was becoming increasingly hard.

 

“Um,” Alex replied, surreptitiously wiping her sweaty hand on her jeans. “I guess I just haven’t found the right person yet?” She’d thought Maggie was the right person, but Maggie had told her that she wasn’t ready. And maybe Maggie was right, if all Alex could think about were Karen’s - Kara’s - soft lips. Their kind eyes. The way they moved.

 

“I don’t know if you want to talk about it, but the first time a girl turned me down, I was devastated. It took me weeks to get over that,” Karen said kindly, leaning away from Alex and smiling at her. “Kara told me what happened between you and Maggie.”

 

Alex’s eyes almost bogged out of her head.

 

“When you… asked…?” Her mind wasn’t working. The thought of Karen with another woman was too much for her. It was extremely inappropriate for her to be thinking about it, and it also… reminded Alex of a memory she’d buried. Just like she’d buried those memories about her best friend.

 

A memory about Kara, and about the first time Alex had seen her. That stirring of longing in Alex’s fourteen-year old self. Alex had believed it to be envy at the time, but now that she thought about it...

 

“Oh, is Kara not bisexual?” Karen asked, looking genuinely surprised. “Maybe that’s why she was so weirded out about the fact that I think you’re really attractive.” She frowned. “Poor kid. I feel bad for her; she’s missing out on so much.”

 

Alex’s jaw dropped.

 

“You think I’m attractive?” she asked dumbly, having never considered this possibility before. “And you’re bisexual?” Her questions were becoming dumber and dumber, and she had absolutely no way to control it. This _was_ Maggie all over again.

 

Only somehow even worse.

 

“That just goes to show you how different our universes really are... _Were_ ,” Karen corrected herself, obviously trying not to let her sadness show. “Kara got very weirded out when I told her that I definitely would have started dating you at some point if I’d been in her place. Maybe that’s part of the reason why she couldn’t understand.”

 

“You would date me?” Alex stared at Karen’s face.

 

“And now I’m making things weird with you,” Karen said, sighing softly to herself and disentangling her hands from around Alex’s body. As an awful added bonus, she scooted away from Alex and gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, I know you see your sister when you look at me, so this is probably very strange for you.” She shrugged. “You’re basically just a beautiful stranger to me.”

 

 _A beautiful stranger_ , Alex’s mind repeated to itself, while her cheeks took on an even deeper blush. She could barely believe she was really hearing this. Her sister’s other version thought she was beautiful. And not in the _I’m your sister so I’m obligated to see you like that_ kind of way.

 

“It’s not weird,” Alex forced herself to say, looking down at the files on the coffee table.

 

Karen sighed.

 

“Yeah, it is,” she said, following her statement up with a short, Kryptonian curse word that Alex didn’t know. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable and I promise I was only trying to hit on you a little bit.”

 

“Oh,” Alex squeaked, sliding her hands under her thighs. “It’s alright. I’m still not used to the whole, you know… being gay… kind of deal.” She shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. “So it’s definitely not you, it’s me.”

 

 _And the fact that my mother would gut me like a fish if she found out I want to..._ kiss _my own sister’s doppelganger_. The fact that Karen might want the same thing didn’t sit well with Alex. How was she going to keep pretending if deep down she knew that Karen had honestly been trying to hit on her?

 

“Are you breaking up with me?” Karen joked, her voice taking on a tentative quality, like she wasn’t quite sure if the moment called for teasing. “Because I don’t know if I’m ready to live on my own.”

 

Alex tried to smile.

 

“No. I told you; you can stay here for as long as you want.” With a small glance at Karen, Alex got to her feet. “I think I’m going to call Winn to talk about your potential new costume, since we can’t have two Supergirls who run around in the same outfit.”

 

She could tell from Karen’s expression that her sister’s doppelganger knew she was deflecting, but Alex didn’t know what else to do. She couldn’t simply come out and say that she wanted to take Karen out on a date.

 

And then there was Kara to think about.

 

Kara thought it was _weird_ that Karen found Alex attractive. That knowledge somehow hurt even worse. Of course Alex knew Kara was as straight as an arrow (small infatuation with the women she worked with aside). The thought that her sister could be bisexual had never even crossed Alex’s mind.

 

In all of their years together, Kara had always been boy crazy.

 

That didn’t mean things couldn’t change, of course. While Alex had never been interested in men, it had taken her almost thirty years to figure out why. It was possible that her Kara simply hadn’t discovered that part of herself…

 

 _Stop thinking like that_ , Alex told herself as she pulled her phone from her pocket.

 

“I’m going to go by the name Power Girl,” Karen said before Alex could dial Winn’s number. He would have probably been cranky about her call anyway, considering he’d told her he’d be hanging out with Mon-El. “Has a nice ring to it, I think.”

 

“That sounds great,” Alex said, sliding her phone back into her pocket. “Very… powerful.”

 

She wanted to facepalm.

 

“Thanks.” Karen’s smile was genuine. “I can’t wait to see what you and Winn come up with for the new costume. I don’t know if I’m ready for any action yet, but it’s going to be good to have it. Just in case.”

 

“You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready,” Alex said, leaning her back against the door of her bedroom. “And it’s also totally fine if that takes you a couple of months. Or years.”

 

Karen’s relieved smile told Alex everything she needed to know.

 

-

 

“You’re acting weird,” Alex told Kara as she caught her loitering around the cafeteria. “You’ve been acting weird for a couple of days and I’m tired of it. So spill. What happened? What’s the problem? How can I fix it?”

 

Kara had been mid-chew, and only just managed to swallow her bite of sandwich.

 

“I’m not acting weird,” she denied, trying to wipe her mouth with her napkin without looking directly into Alex’s eyes. She’d tried to act as normal as possible these last few days after the revelation that Karen thought Alex was hot.

 

“Come on, Kara, let me help you out,” Alex tried again, sitting on the bench opposite Kara and folding her hands atop the table. “Whatever it is, we can fix it together.” She looked so earnest that Kara caved almost instantly.

 

“It’s nothing serious,” she whispered. “I promise. It’s just a conversation I had with Karen that made me think about some things.” She fiddled with her sandwich and a single slice of tomato slipped out and onto the table.

 

At her words, Alex’s face did something weird. It looked as though her cheeks were rapidly taking on massive amounts of blood. Then, her eyes flit away and she worried her bottom lip. Kara almost asked her sister if _she_ was alright.

 

“Does this have anything to do with…” Alex started, her eyes briefly going to Kara before flitting away again. “Um, with Karen hitting on me? She told me that you think it’s weird.” It looked like she would end up biting her lip until it bled, and Kara understood all too well why this was embarrassing to talk about for Alex.

 

“She told you about that?” Kara whispered, putting down her sandwich and placing her hands in her lap. She desperately wished she had a pillow that she could clutch to herself. She’d always felt somewhat more protected when she had one.

 

“She did,” Alex replied, tapping her nails on the tabletop.

 

“How do you feel about that?” Kara asked, suddenly worried that Alex would start to wonder if _Kara_ had any kinds of feelings like that for her. Which she totally didn’t. She totally hadn’t started thinking about what Karen had said in relation to Alex and her attractiveness. Her love for Kara.

 

Alex paled.

 

“I, uh,” she stuttered, looking like Kara had asked her an impossible question. “I’m flattered, I guess.” Alex almost never lied to Kara nowadays. After the DEO reveal debacle, Alex had made it very clear that she had no interest in lying to Kara, but something about her was… _off_. “She doesn’t know me, really. I don’t think it’s that strange.”

 

Kara looked down at her sandwich.

 

“I guess…” she mumbled, scratching the side of her face. This conversation was beyond awkward. “How, um… how do _you_ feel about her? Do you think you’ll, I don’t know, give her a chance?”

 

Now Alex looked even more uncomfortable.

 

“No! No… She’s you, technically, and I don’t…” she trailed off. They probably shouldn’t be having this conversation in the cafeteria, but now that they’d opened this can of words, Kara wasn’t sure how to close it. “It wouldn’t be right of me to go out with my sister’s doppelganger.”

 

“Foster sister,” Kara whispered, wondering why she was making the distinction now.

 

“Yeah, but she still _looks_ like you. I couldn’t possibly,” Alex tried again, her shoulders visibly hunching. If anyone was watching them right now, they’d probably think Kara had chewed Alex out somehow. It happened from time to time. They probably wouldn’t assume that Alex and Kara were having a conversation about whether or not Alex should go out with Karen.

 

“We’re two totally different people though,” Kara said, mentally slapping herself for the things she was saying. She didn’t want Alex to go out with Karen. She didn’t. Karen was _her_. Except she wasn’t.

 

“Do you want me to go out with her or not?” Alex asked, seemingly only half-joking.

 

“No,” Kara whispered, bringing up one of her hands and rubbing her face with it. “But if you want to go out with her, it’s none of my business. She’s her own person and you’re your own person. And just because I’m your sister doesn’t mean she needs to be the same.”

 

“I don’t want to go out with her,” Alex insisted, her brows furrowed together. She didn’t look very convinced, and Kara felt a stirring of something dark and angry in her chest. Something she hadn’t felt since the first time she’d seen James and Lucy kiss.

 

 _Jealousy_.

 

She was jealous at the thought of Karen getting to go out with Alex. The feeling in her chest made absolutely no sense. There was no way that Kara wanted to be with Alex like that. They’d been the best of friends - sisters - since she’d been thirteen years old.

  
Feelings didn’t just change.

 

She loved Alex more than anything, but she didn’t love her like _that_.

 

Kara was also pretty sure that she hadn’t felt this way when Alex had been interested in Maggie. Sure, Kara hadn’t known about her infatuation for long, but she’d wanted to throw Maggie into space for breaking her sister’s heart, not for anything else.

 

At least that was what she’d thought at the time.

 

“Okay,” Kara said, her appetite completely vanished. “Good talk.”

 

Nodding, Alex got to her feet.

 

“I’ll catch you later. I need to check in on Winn and the Power Girl suit project,” she said, stuffing her hands into her back pockets. “If you need me, I’ll be in the lab for the rest of the day, most likely.”

 

With another smile, she walked away, Kara looking after her.

 

That talk hadn’t solved anything.

 

-

 

“How’s the suit coming along?” Karen asked as she entered the lab. Winn was sitting on a chair, a small bracelet with a pincushion strapped to his left arm. He worked meticulously and didn’t even look up as Karen walked in.

 

“Pretty well,” Alex replied, still slightly rattled from her conversation with Kara. It had sounded oddly like her sister approved, even though she’d said the opposite. Because she was right. Karen wasn’t Kara. They had the same body and some of the same memories, but their lives on Earth had evolved differently in too many ways to count. “Winn is trying to decide whether or not we should give you a cleavage.”

 

“Please, whatever you do, don’t make it a boob window,” Karen joked, walking over and leaning on the same desk as Alex. “I’d love to wear the House of El crest just like Kara and your version of Superman.”

 

Alex grinned at her, even though it felt a little strained.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” she agreed, crossing her arms over her chest so she couldn’t fidget. “I was thinking we could maybe give you like a really nice, high collar. With a cool red trim around the edge.”

 

“Very nice,” Karen said, turning to Alex. “How high were you thinking?” She pointed at her own throat. “Like this high? Or this high?” She moved her finger up and down, and Alex was momentarily distracted by the way her throat moved when she talked.

 

“Um, I was thinking this high,” Alex said, grabbing Karen’s hand and placing her finger in the right spot. “Yeah, just about there.” Alex was blushing again - she could tell. There was simply no way to avoid it. Karen’s skin was soft and warm and Alex was weak.

 

“Very nice indeed,” Karen whispered, her eyes growing almost half-lidded at how closely they were standing together. Then, she seemed to remember where she was and the conversation she and Alex had had. “Sorry.”

 

Alex grimaced.

 

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine. Not because Karen had done something wrong, but because Alex wanted her to be much closer. It was like her sudden appearance had awoken something in Alex that had always been there. Dormant. Just beneath the surface. “Actually, can I talk to you outside for a second?”

 

“Sure,” Karen replied, furrowing her brows.

 

“Winn, we’ll be right back,” Alex called out, before she walked briskly out of the lab and around the corner, Karen hot on her heels. She just needed a second of privacy so she could make sense of this whole thing.

 

The empty office in room three-six-five would have to do.

 

“Is everything okay? Is it about Kara?” Karen asked, standing with her hands on her hips and looking every bit the superhero she was, even in the standard-issue DEO clothing. “If you need me to be Power Girl sooner, I can try.”

 

Alex paced back and forth in front of her.

 

“It’s about Kara… and me,” Alex started, her hands balling into fists. “And it’s about you.”

 

Karen frowned.

 

“I hope you guys didn’t get into a fight because of me,” she said, looking genuinely distressed at the idea. She wasn’t Kara, and yet she was. “If that’s the case, I’ll talk to her. I promise I’ll fix it, whatever it is.”

 

Biting her bottom lip, Alex stopped in front of Karen.

 

“I think she wants me to go out with you,” Alex pushed out quickly, her hands shaking at her sides.

 

Karen seemed shocked.

 

“Yeah,” Alex replied, lifting her index finger and pointing at Karen. “That’s my exact reaction.” She started pacing again. This wasn’t good, but there was no one else to talk to. “I don’t get her. She tells me not to go out with you, and then when I agree with her, she gives me all of these reasons why it wouldn’t be a big deal if I went out with you.”

 

Her hero pose faltering just a little, Karen took a step forward.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked gently, clearly trying not to push Alex over the edge. It was sweet, but Alex was way beyond that now. She was at a crossroads. She could do the crazy thing and try to go out with her sister’s doppelganger, or she could listen to her mother’s inner voice and keep herself in check.

 

“You confuse me,” Alex admitted, rubbing her forehead. “You made me consider things I’ve never even thought of before.” She didn’t budge when Karen took another step forward. “I don’t want to be confused. You’re supposed to be another version of my _sister_.”

 

It was wrong how her heart started pounding every time she looked at Karen now. Every time she looked at Kara. She hated how she noticed things about the both of them now that she’d never noticed before.

 

And how they made her want to give in.

 

“I’m sorry,” Karen said, reaching out and taking one of Alex’s hands. “I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot since I came here. I didn’t mean to make any trouble for you or for Kara. I don’t know how she feels, all I know is that you make my heart race.”

 

There it was again. That feeling. The want.

 

“This is really difficult for me,” Alex admitted, looking at the ground.

 

“I don’t want it to be,” Karen whispered, cupping Alex’s cheek with her free hand. “If you want me to back off, I can stay at the DEO. We can stop hanging out for a while until it’s no longer weird and I’m over this little crush I’ve developed.”

 

Alex considered it.

 

It would make things easier. It would stop the guilt.

 

Maybe.

 

Or maybe it would just highlight how much Alex had been missing during the first thirteen years she’d known Kara.

 

“How about we… go to dinner instead,” Alex murmured, unwilling to let this feeling go for now. “Just as friends. Get to know each other better. I’m having a tough time distinguishing between you and Kara right now.”

 

Karen smiled gently.

 

“Going out as friends sounds great, Alex. I can’t wait.” She squeezed Alex’s hand. “And I can have another chat with Kara, if you want. I know she’s struggling, but I’ve been to a number of different universes. Stranger things have happened.”

 

At the thought of Karen talking to Kara, Alex’s windpipe closed up.

 

“Please don’t. We’re not doing anything that she needs to know about at the moment. I just want to keep it between us for now, if that’s alright.” Alex knew she was pleading, but she didn’t care. At this point, she knew Karen wouldn’t laugh at her insecurities.

 

“Sure. How does tonight sound? At eight? I promise I’ll even buy some of my own clothes for our friend-date,” Karen teased, playfully nudging Alex’s shoulder with her elbow. “To show you how serious I am about this.”

 

To Alex’s great surprise, a grin actually spread over her own face.

 

Maybe, for once, she didn’t have to worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this needs a part 4. I am having a lot of fun with this! i hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing :))
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	12. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Poly relationship/Threesome" [Alex x Kara (with a twist); Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Alex is stressed out. Karen vows to help. Kara is confused."

“Last night was nice,” Karen drawled as she leaned over Alex, who was working on a complicated formula in her lab. As Karen’s fingers settled on Alex’s shoulders and started to massage gently, a blush crawled up Alex’s neck. “Thanks for taking me out again, Agent Danvers.”

 

“As friends,” Alex stuttered, trying not to let her embarrassment show. 

 

She and Karen had been out on three friend-dates so far, with Alex taking great pains not to take her to any of the places that Kara liked to frequent. Everything seemed to be going alright, even though Alex still wasn’t quite sure if she was doing the right thing.

 

“I know,” Karen replied warmly, digging her hands harder into Alex’s muscles. “I had a really good time.” They’d gone to one of the more expensive Italian restaurants in the city, and Karen had insisted on paying with the credit card the DEO had given to her.

 

“Me, too,” Alex mumbled quietly, her ballpoint pen held loosely in her hand. With Karen touching her, there was no way Alex could concentrate. “Winn said he should be done with your new costume later today.”

 

She almost groaned when Karen hit just the right spot between her shoulder blades.

 

“I can’t wait to try it on.” Karen sounded almost mischievous, which probably meant that she could hear Alex’s rapidly beating heart. “I asked Kara to go flying with me tomorrow. Maybe I can wear the new suit.”

 

Nodding, Alex let her head drop down onto her arms and gave up on the pretense of getting any work done. 

 

“You work too hard,” Karen reprimanded her gently, her hands warm and gentle. “How about you take a little bit of a break?” Alex shuddered when Karen slipped a hand under the collar of her polo shirt.

 

“I need to finish this formula,” Alex protested weakly, trying to ignore the tension gathering in her nether regions at the feeling of nails scratching along her skin. “I’m trying to figure out a way to stop Mon-El’s lead allergy.”

 

“You can’t concentrate when you’re wired like this, Alex. Come on.” Karen pulled back her hands. “Let’s go somewhere a little more private so you can get a minute of rest. I know you haven’t been sleeping well.”

 

Sighing, Alex pushed herself to her feet.

 

“This thing with us is making me anxious,” she confessed, letting herself be led through the door and down the hall. “Kara is going to skin me alive if she finds out about it before I get the chance to tell her anything. And I don’t want to tell her until I have everything worked out.”

 

Karen hummed with understanding, her hand resting on Alex’s lower back.

 

As they walked, Karen smiled and waved at all the people they came across. Moments like these reminded Alex all too obviously that her sister was somewhere in this woman, and she still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

 

“We have all the time in the world for you to figure it out,” Karen whispered kindly, pressing her lips against Alex’s cheek before speaking directly into her ear. “I’m not going anywhere… and I’m  _ very  _ patient.”

 

Gulping, Alex almost didn’t see Kara standing around and chatting with Winn on the other side of the hallway. Smiling happily, Kara looked up just in time to see the second kiss Karen pressed to Alex’s cheek, causing Alex’s anxiety to skyrocket.

 

Trying to affect an untroubled expression, Alex waved at Kara, who was at this point clearly ignoring everything Winn was telling her. When she didn’t respond, Winn followed her gaze. His eyes flit from Alex to Karen and back again.

 

Then, he raised his eyebrow and gave Alex a knowing look.

 

Bastard.

 

She hated to admit it, but he knew her better than anyone these days.

 

“Hey, Kara,” Karen greeted happily as they reached the end of the hallway. “I’m taking Alex down to the sleeping quarters so she can get some rest.” She wrapped her arm around Alex’s shoulders and smiled brightly.

 

It wasn’t like she was flaunting their budding relationship (she didn’t act any differently than she usually did), but Kara’s eyes still looked suspicious as she looked back and forth in between them. 

 

“Okay…” she said quietly, placing her own elbow on Winn’s shoulder and affecting a nonchalant pose. “Do you mind if I tag along? I’m feeling a bit tired myself. I think we could all use the rest.”

 

Karen’s smile became no less genuine.

 

“Sure,” she said, rubbing Alex’s shoulder before letting go. “The more the merrier.”

 

Nodding, Kara patted Winn on the back, before taking her place on Alex’s other side. Except when they started walking again, Kara slipped her hand into Alex’s and held on tightly, almost as though she were staking a claim.

 

Which made absolutely no sense.

 

Feeling somewhat weirded out by this development, Alex looked back and caught Winn’s expression of amusement. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and shot her a couple of fingerguns. Then, he walked away, clearly laughing all the way back to the lab.

 

Alex almost wanted to grumble, but that would have caused the two Kryptonian women by her sides to look at her funny, and Alex just wanted to get through this break without getting into too much trouble with either one.

 

It would likely take all of Alex’s impressive brain power.

 

-

 

Kara had no idea why she’d decided to tag along, but there was something about the way Karen had looked at Alex that had made her want to ensure that Alex wouldn’t do anything untoward with the other version of herself.

 

 _This is all for Alex. It’s definitely not because I’m jealous. Definitely not. We’ve had this conversation before, me. I’m not jealous. I’m_ not. She tried not to let her turmoil show as they entered the sleeping quarters and found it empty.

 

Alex’s hand was sweaty, which told Kara that she was nervous about something.

 

“Lie down,” Karen told Alex, placing her hand on the small of Alex’s back and guiding her over to one of the cots, forcing Kara to let go. It was a strange sight to see herself (a version of her) be so tender with Alex. 

 

It made Kara want to riot.

 

“I really don’t have a lot of time,” Alex protested, sitting down on the mattress and taking off her shoes. “I need to finish that formula before Cadmus strikes again and makes life even more difficult for Mon-El.”

 

Alex’s concern made Kara feel warm and mushy inside.

 

Which was a completely normal feeling to have for your sister.

 

“You can’t help that boy unless you’re well-rested. You worked until three AM last night after we came home,” Karen said lovingly, pushing Alex until she was on her back. Then, Karen looked to Kara, who was still reeling from how domestic Karen’s word had sounded. “I was giving Alex a massage in the lab. Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand.”

 

A massage.

 

Kara almost scowled.

 

Alex almost never let Kara give her a massage. 

 

“Sure,” Kara agreed, stepping forward just as Karen poked Alex’s side and told her to roll over, which she did with a sour expression. The fact that Alex complied so easily, when usually she only listened to Kara, was deeply unsettling.

 

_ Fine, maybe I’m a little bit jealous. But only because I don’t want to be replaced in my sister’s life by someone who is better than me in every conceivable way _ , Kara thought to herself, sitting down next to Alex’s left shoulder.

 

“You take her shoulders and I take her lower back?” Karen asked, giving Kara a questioning look. When Kara nodded, Karen smiled and slipped her hands under Alex’s polo shirt, immediately beginning her massage.

 

Kara tried not to notice the goosebumps on Alex’s forearms as she worked her hands into her sister’s shoulder blades. 

 

After about a minute, Kara glanced down again to look at Karen’s concentrated face. It really was unfair that her doppelganger got to touch Alex’s soft skin and Kara somehow wasn’t. Kara liked touching Alex’s skin. It made her feel like she was home.

  
“Maybe this would be easier if you took off your polo shirt, Alex,” Kara suggested, wondering if this request was as weird as it sounded, coming out of her own mouth. It wasn’t like Kara had never seen Alex in her bra before.

 

“That’s a great idea,” Karen agreed, sounding almost too innocent.

 

Kara wanted to facepalm.

 

“Um,” Alex stuttered, looking behind herself without really making eye contact with either Kara or Karen. “I don’t know. What if someone comes in? I think it’s going to look weird if I’m topless while my sister and her doppelganger touch my back.”

 

Chuckling, Karen patted her back.

 

“Kara and I both have super hearing, Alex. We’re not going to let anybody just walk in on us,” she promised, her words sounding supremely dirty even to Kara’s ears. She desperately tried not to imagine what else someone could be walking in on.

 

There was something decidedly sordid about the idea of doing anything with Alex while her other self watched or participated.  _ And about doing anything with Alex in the first place _ , her brain helpfully reminded her.

 

“Fine,” Alex grumbled. “I hate the fact that there’s two of you now. I’m never going to have another moment of peace again.” Pushing herself up to her knees, Alex looked self-consciously from Kara to Karen, before sliding her polo shirt over her head to reveal her naked back. 

 

Kara could tell, from a completely objective standpoint, that Alex’s muscled back was absolutely gorgeous and that her skin was crying out to be caressed, kissed, and loved. She also knew that she couldn’t do any of those things, and she also told herself that she didn’t  _ want _ to do any of those things.

 

Definitely not.

 

Once Alex had laid back down, Kara moved her shaking fingers to her shoulder blades once more. Swallowing down her anxiety, Kara kneaded Alex’s muscles, her nails digging into the skin and leaving red lines in their wake.

 

While Alex was quiet, Kara could see that she was biting her bottom lip, as though trying to keep her noises of enjoyment inside. That sight alone almost made Kara question herself. When a few minutes passed, something wafted over to Kara that hadn’t been there before.

 

A scent.

 

It took Kara a couple of seconds to identify what was happening, but when she did, she blushed to the roots of her hair. Alex was  _ aroused _ . The smell wasn’t strong by any stretch of the imagination, but Kara’s nose was an active overachiever.

 

_ Alex is aroused. Holy fishsticks, Alex is aroused. I’m touching Alex and it’s arousing her _ . Kara was freaking out. Then, realization struck her. Maybe it wasn’t Kara at all that was causing the reaction.

 

She looked at Karen again.

 

Her cheeks weren’t flushed, but she had a weird expression on her face, like she knew exactly what was going on. Her nose was most likely just as good as Kara’s, which meant she was perfectly aware of Alex’s wetness. 

 

Kara needed to leave.

 

“I just remembered I promised James I’d help him with his filing,” Kara pressed out quickly, getting to her feet and wiping her hands on her skirt, as though that would get rid of the evidence. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

 

Before either one of the others could say another word, Kara had bolted.

 

In the staircase, she pressed her back against the wall and closed her eyes.

 

There was definitely something going on between Karen and Alex, and Kara wasn’t sure if she was angry, disgusted, or… weirdly fascinated. It was wrong. There was no way Kara could ever love her sister in a romantic way.

 

And yet…

 

She brought her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer. 

 

Slowly, Kara floated a few inches off the ground. She needed to know for sure. 

 

Noiselessly, she floated back over to the door she’d just left through, and used her x-ray vision to look inside. Karen and Alex were in the same positions. Only Alex’s mouth was open and Karen had a small smile on her lips.

 

Hating herself just a little bit, Kara listened in.

 

Alex’s moans shot bolts of lightning right through Kara’s body. Every single one seemed to drive an inevitable truth home further and further. And when Karen leaned over Alex to press kisses along her spine, Kara almost gasped.

 

Watching herself caress Alex was beyond exciting, no matter how awful it made her feel. 

 

She wished she were back in the room so she could bask in the scent of Alex’s arousal. So she could be the one kissing Alex’s skin. Licking her neck. Nibbling on the soft skin below her earlobe. Wished she could lean in, tilt Alex’s head to the side and…

 

Feeling the terrible truth, Kara flew away.

 

-

 

“So? What do you think?” Karen asked enthusiastically, turning back and forth on her new boots so Alex and Winn could see it from all sides. “Do I look snazzy or do I look snazzy?” Her dorky smile completed the whole damn picture perfectly.

 

_ I’m thinking my back still tingles where you kissed me. That definitely isn’t something that friends do _ , Alex thought to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. That whole massage threesome thing had been more than weird, and Alex still wasn’t sure whether or not Kara was freaking out about it.

 

“You look great,” Winn exclaimed, his expression equally as excited as Karen’s. 

 

“What do you think?” Karen asked Alex, her expression surprisingly vulnerable. Even though she was almost thirty-eight years old, Karen still needed the approval of her friends from time to time, that much was obvious. 

 

Alex was more than happy to give her feedback.

 

“I think you look gorgeous,” she said, her voice perhaps a little huskier than necessary. 

 

Karen’s suit resembled Kara’s in many ways. It was made of the same material, only it didn’t have a skirt. Instead, it most resembled one single blue leotard with the signature red lines that also ran down Kara’s torso. The House of El crest on her chest was big and prominent.

 

Her red cape looked the same as Kara’s, but her suit had the collar that Alex had mentioned.

 

All in all, Alex thought she looked like a Kryptonian goddess, and she had no idea how she was going to survive working with Karen at the DEO when she’d be wearing an outfit like that. Especially considering how well it outlined Karen’s muscles.

 

“Thank you,” Karen husked back, grinning and looking at herself in the big mirror Winn had lugged into the lab for her. “I think the two of you did a great job designing this.” Her eyes turned sad for a moment. “It reminds me a lot of my Clark’s old costume.”

 

Alex was by her side in a second.

 

-

 

So Kara wanted to kiss Alex.

 

Big deal.

 

So Alex wanted to kiss Karen and not Kara.

 

Even less of a big deal.

 

So Alex had been living with Kara for roughly seven years and had never once considered that she might like to kiss her, whereas it took her roughly two weeks to want to do it with Karen. That didn’t hurt Kara’s feelings at all.

 

She put the third empty carton of chocolate chip cookie ice cream onto her coffee table.

 

Alright fine, maybe it did hurt her feelings.

 

She slumped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

 

Why did she want to kiss Alex? 

 

She’d always loved her sister very much, and she’d always wanted to be around her, and hug her, and sleep in the same bed as her, but so what? Actually... now that she thought about it, that sounded an awful lot like what Alex had told her about her best friend in high school.

 

“I’m an idiot,” Kara groaned, slapping her hands over her eyes. “I’m a big dumb idiot.”

 

Turning onto her side, Kara pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked down at her background picture. There they were, Alex and Kara. Together after a mission. Their faces were covered in grime, but their smiles were big and happy.

 

“Why now?” she grumbled to herself, dropping her phone onto the coffee table as well. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with Alex before now? Or, to be completely honest with herself, why hadn’t she  _ realized  _ sooner that she’d fallen in love with Alex?

 

Now Alex already had Karen.

 

A more beautiful and mature version of herself who knew exactly what and who she wanted, and who didn’t have a problem with speaking her mind. She’d clearly spoken to Alex again after Kara had basically forbidden Alex to go out with her.

 

And apparently Alex felt the same way.

 

If only Kara had realized her own feelings sooner. Maybe then she would be in Karen’s position right now. Maybe she wouldn’t be experiencing all of this dread and sadness. Because Karen was right. Alex  _ was  _ the best person Kara had ever met, and she would have given Kara anything.

 

Picking up her phone again, Kara contemplated dialing Alex’s number and talking to her about everything she’d been feeling. Not talking about it was stupid, because Alex would understand, and Kara didn’t want this thing inside of her to drive a wedge between them.

 

She just needed to come out and tell Alex that she needed a bit of space.

 

No weirdness, no awkward lies about how  _ fine  _ she was.

 

Her finger hovered over the call button.

 

The screen turned to black before she could press it, which was probably for the best. Talking about this on the phone would be a terrible idea. 

 

In an instant, she was on her feet.

 

Talking about this would only work in person.

 

-

 

“I still don’t understand your universe’s fascination with this cucumber patch man,” Karen said as she and Alex slowly walked back to Alex’s apartment. “I’m glad we went to see the other movie instead.”

 

Alex chuckled. “Yeah. Me, too.” 

 

She was nervous. Today had been their fourth friend-date and Alex was planning on making sure it was their last. At least as friends. She’d had plenty of time to think about all the things she’d ever done wrong, and loving Kara or Karen had never been part of that category before.

 

And Alex didn’t see why that needed to change now that she loved them in a different way.

 

Because the other thing Alex had discovered about herself, was that it didn’t matter whether she thought about kissing Karen  _ or  _ kissing Kara. The end result was the same. The thought made her feel good.

 

They  _ both  _ made her feel good.

 

She hadn’t talked about that with Karen yet, but she was pretty sure that Karen knew. She had a knack for figuring out what Alex was thinking, whether Alex wanted her to or not. In the roughly three weeks that she had been living with Alex, the two of them had grown as comfortable with one another as two people could be.

 

Mostly.

 

There was just one more thing.

 

“I’m glad to be home,” Karen said happily, waiting for Alex to unlock the front door of the apartment building. “The movie was nice, but I just want to curl up on the couch with you, have a couple of beers and unwind.”

 

“That sounds great,” Alex said, fiddling with her keys. “Actually… I was thinking…”

 

Karen raised one eyebrow.

 

“I’ve thought a lot about what I want and whether or not it’s okay for me to want it…” Alex whispered. Taking a deep breath, she straightened out her shoulders and rose up to her full height. “I want you to kiss me. Please.”

 

Karen looked at her for a second, an expression of awe crossing her features.

 

She smiled, and lifted her hands to cup Alex’s cheeks.

 

Without another word, she leaned in and pressed their lips together. The kiss was gentle, their lips moving in tandem, causing butterflies to erupt in Alex’s stomach. Karen was soft and pliable where Alex had assumed her to be hard, and she sweetly tilted Alex’s head further into the kiss.

 

Her eyes firmly closed, Alex held on tightly to Karen’s arms.

 

Everything about this moment felt warm and loving, and Alex didn’t have to be afraid that anything was going to go wrong. Or that Karen would pull away and tell her she wasn’t ready. All that mattered was this kiss and this feeling.

 

“Thank you,” Karen husked as they pulled away, her eyes half-lidded as she stole another kiss from Alex’s lips. Her hands left Alex’s face to settle on her waist instead. “I could just keep kissing you all night.”

 

Alex gulped.

 

“I actually… had something a little bit different in mind…” she said, finally unlocking the front door and pulling Karen inside by the hand. “I know we’ve only known each other for three weeks and we’ve only been on four dates, but…”

 

Karen pushed her against the wall, her lips on Alex’s neck.

 

“We’re both adults,” she whispered, nibbling on Alex’s earlobe.

 

“Exactly,” Alex replied, closing her eyes and soaking up the feeling of wanting someone. She’d never felt this way before in all the years she’d slept with men. Karen had barely touched her at all and Alex was already reeling. “Let’s go upstairs.”

 

-

 

As they rode the elevator, Alex pulled Karen to her, their lips fitting together perfectly. 

 

Karen’s hands moved to Alex’s ass, while Alex wrapped both arms around Karen’s neck.

 

“You could carry me all the way to bed,” Alex husked, just as the elevator dinged to show its arrival on the third floor. “That’s extremely hot.” They kissed again, and Alex pushed out her hand so the elevator wouldn’t close without letting them go.

 

Smiling happily, Alex pulled Karen after her by the hand.

 

Her expression faltered when she saw Kara standing in front of the apartment, a look of surprise and pain clear as day on her gorgeous face. She was clutching a bag of take-out in her hands and Alex could see that it was from their favorite Chinese restaurant.

 

“Hey,” Alex murmured, letting go of Karen’s hand.

 

It was clear that Kara had already seen them in the elevator.

 

Kara didn’t say anything.

 

What Alex wanted to say was that it hadn’t been what it had looked like in the elevator, but that would have been a big fat lie. And Alex didn’t like lying to Kara, especially not when she knew the lie would only end up hurting her more than the truth.

 

“Why don’t we all go inside?” Karen asked, rounding Alex so she could slip her hand onto Kara’s lower back. “We can talk about it.” She silently told Alex to open the door, and Alex scrambled to get her key into the lock. 

 

Kara still hadn’t said anything.

 

Once they were all inside, Karen put the Chinese food onto the kitchen counter before coming back and guiding Kara onto the couch. She gave Alex another look, which told Alex to sit down as well.

 

Right now, Alex was pretty damn happy that Karen was so mature, and had an easier time initiating discussions.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Karen asked gently, rubbing Kara’s shoulder. 

 

Kara shrugged.

 

“Are you angry?” 

 

Nothing for a moment, then a shake of the head.

 

Alex clenched her hands together on her thighs, looking down at her shoes. She was glad that Kara wasn’t angry, but she also still wasn’t talking, and that was never a good sign. Kara didn’t tend to go quiet unless she was feeling some sort of intense emotional backlash from an event.

 

Her silence was so deafening that Alex almost jumped out of her skin when Kara reached out for her hand.

 

With a deep breath, Kara reached out with her other hand towards Karen.

  
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kara said, her body shivering, “but I think we have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright ok this needs a part 5. BUT THEN IT'LL BE DONE. I'm sure of it!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing this :))
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	13. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 5]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Threesome/Poly Relationship" [Alex x Kara (with a twist); Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara tries to talk about things. Alex and Karen are supportive."

Gnawing on her bottom lip, Alex watched as Kara fought with herself. She was clearly trying to find the best way to articulate her thoughts, and Alex was absolutely terrified of what she might say. Going out with Karen was one thing, but going out with Kara?

 

Then again… maybe Alex was reading too much into this.

 

“Are you…” Kara started, looking from Alex to Karen. “How long have you…?”

 

Alex gulped.

 

“Just a couple of days,” she confessed, gently squeezing Kara’s hand. “I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how without making it weird between us. I know you’re grossed out about this, I just… I can’t…”

 

Kara shook her head.

 

“I’m not grossed out,” she whispered, glancing back to Karen. “I… I’m…”

 

Rubbing the back of Kara’s hand, Karen gave her a reassuring look.

 

“I’m in love with you,” Kara told Alex, her eyes flitting down to her shoes. “I don’t know why I never realized that before, but… whenever I see the two of you together…” Her bottom lip wobbled dangerously. “I get that you don’t feel the same, and that’s fine, but I needed to tell you. I think I need some time to work through this.”

 

Before Alex could react - her heart was beating like a goddamn sledgehammer - Karen had wrapped both of her arms around Kara and was hugging her tightly. Kara didn’t even try to fight her; she seemed well-aware that no one was at fault for how this situation had played out.

 

Except…

 

“I love both of you,” Alex blurted out, digging the nails of her free hand into her pants. 

 

Now she felt guilty for entirely different reasons than she had before. 

 

While Kara stared at her, her mouth hanging open, Karen pulled away and gave Alex a warm, understanding look. It was like she’d known all along. If Alex was honest with herself, she wasn’t even surprised. Karen seemed to understand her on a level that only Kara had ever been able to reach.

 

It made sense.

 

Leaning forward, Karen gave Alex the softest of kisses. Her lips were warm and tender and they still turned Alex’s insides to mush. 

 

“It’s not a problem for me,” Karen said gently, leaning back and wrapping an arm around Kara’s shoulders. Kara, who was still staring at the side of Alex’s face like she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “I had a feeling we’d be having this conversation at some point. I’m happy it’s sooner rather than later.”

 

Finally, Kara looked away.

 

“I…” she stuttered, letting go of Alex’s hand. Grunting in frustration, she rubbed her hands over her eyes. “I don’t know what to do.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I’m so confused. I never thought I’d have to think about something like this.”

 

Alex wanted nothing more than to take Kara into her arms and never let go.

 

“Would you mind… sharing?” Karen asked Kara tentatively, stroking her hand up and down Kara’s back. Her words almost made Alex’s brain short-circuit. Being shared between Kara and Karen sounded… overwhelming. Wonderful. Perfect. 

 

Lowering her hands, Kara looked from Karen to Alex, a look of apprehension on her face.

 

“I don’t know…” she said slowly, her eyes lingering on Alex’s lips. “Can I have some time to think about it?” The thought of having to make a decision immediately seemed to be making her anxious, but Alex didn’t even need to think about the answer.

 

“Of course,” she said, finally giving in to her urges and wrapping her arms around Kara. “Take all the time you need. We’re not going anywhere.” She made eye contact with Karen over Kara’s back and was relieved to see her loving expression. “How about you stay here tonight? We can get our cuddle on.”

 

Kara sniffled, then nodded against Alex’s shoulder while Karen continued to rub her back.

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered.

 

“I love you, too,” Alex replied.

 

-

 

“I can sleep on the couch if that would make you more comfortable,” Karen said, standing next to Alex’s bed. They’d all gotten ready separately and were now staring at the bed, wondering what to do next. It was certainly big enough - but that wasn’t the problem. “If you want some time alone with Alex to talk about stuff.”

 

With her arms crossed over her chest, Kara looked down at the duvet.

 

The fact that now both Kara  _ and  _ Karen were wearing Alex’s clothing to bed was doing things to Alex’s head. Before her mind could wander off though, Kara unfurled her arms and stretched out her hand to catch Alex’s fingers with her own.

 

“I think… I want to try for us to sleep in the same bed. Just to see what it’s like…” Kara whispered, straightening out her shoulders. She seemed to be drawing deeply from her inner Supergirl strength, and Alex stepped closer to her to add some of her own. 

 

Karen gave her a gentle look, before flipping open the covers and sliding underneath them.

 

When Kara didn’t move, Alex tugged her along.

 

“I wonder what it’s going to be like to sleep between two blanket hogs,” Alex joked, getting under the covers and holding them open for Kara. “I feel like the two of you might rip it in half and leave me out in the cold.”

 

Nervously, Kara shuffled in after her.

 

“We’d never do that,” Karen replied, leaning over Alex and kissing her cheek. “If anything, you’re going to complain endlessly that you’re too warm.” She caressed Alex’s side, sliding her fingers under her t-shirt to stroke the skin of Alex’s waist.

 

Once Kara was under the covers, Alex turned off her bedside lamp and buried them all in darkness, even though she knew both Kryptonian women could still see perfectly. The only one who was at a disadvantage was Alex herself. 

 

But that didn’t matter when she settled down and felt Kara curling into her arms right away. She seemed to have waited for the darkness, and Alex shivered with pleasure as she thought back to Kara’s confession.

 

Kara was in love with her.

 

The truth still hadn’t fully sunk in for her. Alex had accepted the fact that she could only be with Karen, and that had been more than fine with her, because Karen was amazing. She was powerful and kind and sweet and witty and confident. And Alex knew that she would grow to love her, given more time.

 

But now… to find out that Kara wanted her, too?

 

It was like a blessing and a curse, all at once. Not only would Alex have to tell her mother that she was dating her sister’s doppelganger… but possibly her sister as well. It was a truly terrifying concept, and Alex hoped it would be a long time until her mother found out about it.

 

Holding onto Kara tightly, Alex rested her cheek on her sister’s head, sighing contently when Karen curled up next to them and wrapped her arm around both of their waists. Briefly, Alex felt Kara’s arms tighten around her, before she relaxed again.

 

Maybe she was worried that Karen would try to take Alex away; that she would take Kara’s position in Alex’s life and replace her. The thought made Alex press kisses against Kara’s hair and gently rub her back.

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Alex promised, closing her eyes and breathing in the moment. Both Kara and Karen smelled ever so slightly different. Alex couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but she liked how safe their combined scents made her feel. 

 

“Just try to get some sleep,” Karen whispered, leaving kisses on Alex’s shoulder blades. “We can talk more tomorrow.” She nuzzled her nose against the back of Alex’s neck and let out a deep breath.

 

Wedged in between her two favorite women, Alex fell asleep.

 

-

 

As soon as Kara woke up, she realized she’d shifted quite a bit during the night. It had taken her a while to fall asleep, too. Alex had been out like a light in a matter of minutes, but Kara and Karen had both lain awake for a bit longer, quietly talking while Alex snored peacefully in between them.

 

Karen had told her everything.

 

About the friend-dates, about how much Alex had struggled, about how guilty Alex had felt about falling for someone who looked like her foster sister. And for loving Kara exactly the same way.

 

And Kara had told her in turn about how guilty she herself felt about the whole thing. How difficult she’d made Alex’s life since she moment she’d arrived and how she didn’t want to ask for even more now.

 

Talking to Karen had been amazingly eye-opening, and as Kara brought herself into wakefulness now, she felt much more emotionally rested than she had anticipated. Especially after catching Alex and Karen in the elevator. Kissing.

 

Opening her eyes, she took in Alex’s bedroom as she wondered what it would feel like to kiss Alex. She imagined it would be soft… loving… gentle… Her mind wandered off. She imagined Alex pressing her against the wall, taking her mouth with rough strokes of her tongue and lips.

 

Turning onto her back, Kara looked over to see that Alex was still asleep. Her arm was wrapped around Kara’s waist. Asleep on her belly with her cheek pressed against the pillow Alex looked supremely adorable, especially with the line of drool stuck to her chin.

 

Karen still seemed to be asleep as well. Her right arm hung half off the bed. She was curled onto her side, her hair like a wild, blonde halo fanned across her own pillow. Strangely, waking up together didn’t feel weird in any way. If Kara was honest with herself, the opposite was true.

 

She felt safe and warm.

 

And most of all accepted.

 

Karen and Alex didn’t judge her for what she wanted, because they both understood her on a fundamental level. 

 

Rolling over onto her side, Kara looked at Alex’s sleeping face. Lifting her hand, she swiped away the patch of drool and wiped it off on Alex’s t-shirt. Then, tentatively, she leaned forward and brushed her lips across Alex’s cheek.

 

When there was no reaction, she drew her fingers over the skin she’d kissed and pressed their foreheads together. She could hear Alex’s steady heartbeat loud and clear, and she smiled as she thought about what Alex had said.

 

_ I love you both _ .

 

“Mhh…” Alex mumbled, eyes fluttering as she slowly started to wake up. “Kara?”

 

“I’m here,” Kara whispered, pulling back her hand. “Sorry.”

 

“S’okay,” Alex replied, blinking a couple of times before yawning into Kara’s face. She had awful morning breath, but Kara had grown used to that years ago. “Did you sleep well?” She rubbed her eyes with her left fist before pushing herself into a sitting position.

 

Kara let her hand slide away.

 

“Yeah,” she said, heart pounding rapidly as she leaned forward to press a kiss against Alex’s shoulder blade. Next, she moved up to the back of Alex’s neck. Basking in the familiar scent, she drew her nose up until she reached the small hairs at the base of Alex’s skull. “How did you sleep?”

 

Wrapping her arm around Alex’s belly, Kara tried not to worry about the fact that Karen was still asleep next to them. Even though Kara was coming to terms with the thought of sharing Alex, it would take some time to get used to. 

 

And it would take time to stop feeling slightly self-conscious.

 

“It was good,” Alex husked, turning her face into Kara’s kisses. “I should probably brush my teeth, though.” Her heartbeat had gone from steady to almost erratic and Kara basked in the knowledge that she was the reason for that development.

 

“You know I don’t mind your morning breath,” Kara whispered back, hand settling on Alex’s neck, her thumb pushing Alex’s chin so that Kara could lean forward more comfortably. “Is it okay if we…”

 

Alex gulped audibly.

 

“Are you ready for that?” she asked breathlessly, eyes half-lidded as she gazed down at Kara’s lips. “We can take it slow. I don’t want to make you feel like you have to rush into anything with me.” 

 

Chest filling with warmth, Kara leaned forward slowly, taking great care to be gentle as she pressed their lips together for the first time. The feeling was almost electric, and Kara wondered briefly if they were giving off sparks as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

 

Alex’s lips were even softer than she’d imagined, and she kissed with a tenderness that made Kara feel decidedly weak in the knees. Especially when Alex’s fingers settled on her shoulder. The feeling was like flying and falling all at once.

 

Before they pulled away, Kara tilted her head slightly downwards so she could trap Alex’s bottom lip in between both of her own, slotting their mouths together even more perfectly. It was even better than Kara had anticipated.

 

“Wow,” Kara breathed, tucking her burning face against Alex’s neck. “Why didn’t we do that years ago?”

 

Alex chuckled softly.

 

“Because we were both too busy worrying about whether or not anyone would find out that you’re an illegal alien,” she replied, leaning her cheek against the top of Kara’s head. “I’m just glad we’re doing it now.”

 

“Me, too…” Kara whispered, leaning back and pushing herself to her feet. “I’ll start getting ready now. I just… I needed to do that.” Almost vibrating with energy, Kara leaning in and pressed another quick kiss against Alex’s lips. 

 

That same electric spark, doubled tenfold when Alex gave her one of those lazy smiles of hers.

 

“Just one more,” Kara said, leaning in and cupping both of Alex’s cheeks. It was like she couldn’t get enough. Like she’d discovered some kind of potent drug that showed her the secrets of the universe. 

 

One more turned into three.

 

-

 

As soon as Kara had vanished, Alex lay on her back again and stared at the ceiling. Her lips were tingling and there were goosebumps all over her arms and legs. She couldn’t believe she’d had the exact same reaction as she had when she’d kissed Karen.

 

They were two different people - save for their core personalities - and yet…

 

“How are you feeling?” Karen suddenly asked, jolting Alex out of her daydreaming. 

 

“Good,” Alex confessed, turning onto her side and pushing up onto her left elbow. “Are you okay with what happened? Being okay with things in theory and being okay with them in practice can be totally different.”

 

Karen grinned, before scooting over and rolling Alex onto her back.

 

“I am very okay with it,” she husked, leaning down and pressing kisses along Alex’s neck. “What I’m not okay with is giving you kisses without your mouth being properly washed and cleaned.” She chuckled when Alex poked her in the side.

  
“Rude,” Alex replied, enjoying the feeling of Karen’s heavy body pressing her into the mattress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I barely had time to write today, so this needs a part 6. And I desperately need sleep. Hello darkness my old friend
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing this at 1am!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	14. The Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Cats/Dogs/Pets" [Lucy x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Lucy takes a sabbatical and ends up in Midvale. Somehow, she ends up feeding a stray."
> 
> **NOTE** : This was written by a friend of mine! I had a truly horrifically awful day yesterday, so I didn't quite make it to three ficlets. Hence, I am now uploading this, which I asked my friend to write in advance :) The final part of "three's a crowd... or is it?" will be here tomorrow! xoxo

Lucy is giddy as she rides a last wave toward the shore, savoring how breathless she feels during the seldom enjoyed activity. She squints just slightly into the slowly rising sun, grinning at the water spray that pricks against her lower extremities.

 

She’s enjoying her sabbatical more than she’d thought, a sure sign that the time away from her firm and clients is exactly what she needed.

 

As her movement slows, she lowers herself to paddle the rest of the way. She’s had her fill for the time being, and there’s more she’s set to do today.

 

“Lane,” comes a somewhat familiar voice as Lucy’s hefting her board up onto the sand.

 

Lucy glances upward, a small smile coming to her lips. “Danvers,” she concedes with a dip of her head. “You’re late today.”

 

Alex shrugs and plants her own surfboard in the sand. “Had a late night,” she admits as she tugs the top half of her wetsuit up from around her hips to cover her black bikini top.

 

“I hope it was worth missing those early morning waves,” Lucy teases as she runs a hand through her hair.

 

“Movie night with my sister.” Alex pauses to zip up the wetsuit. “Always worth it.” She pauses again, suddenly looking at Lucy. “You know, you’re totally her type.”

 

Lucy raises her eyebrows.

 

“Yeah, you’re clever, wound tight, and full of sarcasm. Sometimes you even smell good when you’re not wallowing in fish poop and whatnot.” Alex is grinning by the time she finishes.

 

“How does your girlfriend ever put up with you?” Lucy deadpans.

 

Alex’s grin widens, but she ignores Lucy’s question. “And you know, all your chit-chat might distract her enough that she doesn’t notice just how short you are.”

 

“Why don’t you go ahead and hit the water before I’m forced to hit you,” Lucy warns with narrowed eyes.

 

She’s joking, mostly, but Alex laughs and picks up her board all the same.

 

“See you tomorrow, Lane,” Alex calls out over her shoulder as she begins wading out into the water.

 

Lucy mutters a response, smiling despite herself. Their friendship is an odd one - if it can even be called that. She shrugs the thought off; she’s due for a shower, and her bungalow is only a couple minutes’ walk away.

 

*

 

The shower doesn’t take long, and then Lucy’s changing into her favorite tank and snug running pants. She’d had some peanut butter on toast before her shower, but she’s ready to head into town to pick out some fruit and stuff for lunch.

 

And, well. She doesn’t think about the other thing just yet. Lucy’s not sure she’ll even be there today, so there’s no reason to make plans.

 

Even if she  _ had _ been there every other day the last week. It doesn’t mean Lucy’s planned her morning with any particular side trips in mind. She makes sure to grab her backpack on the way out.

 

Nearly twenty minutes later when Lucy has nearly reached the grocery story, there  _ she _ is.

 

Lucy blazes past with a smile, already knowing there’s going to be an extra addition to her morning purchases. Again.

 

She hops off her bike and greets a few familiar faces, her eyes flicking to her Fitbit. Lucy’s pleased with her heart rate and time. She hadn’t been pushing herself especially hard, but she already sees an improvement from her first week in Midvale.

 

Locking up her bike doesn’t take long, and she adjusts the straps of her small backpack over her shoulders.

 

The locals know her now, and she doesn’t have any trouble picking out her usual selections for the day. She hesitates only briefly as she considers the checkout line or the aisle she’s pretending to avoid.

 

She sighs and heads to the pet aisle anyway. Two foil packets of individual servings of cat food find their way into her basket.

 

Lucy tells herself it’s only the right thing to do. The cashier rings her up quickly, and then Lucy’s tucking her purchases into her backpack.

 

She checks her watch. With her improved cycling time, there’s definitely some to spare for a small diversion. At least, that’s what she reasons as she only gets a small distance away from the store before pulling over and parking her bike again.

 

The small black furry head is already poking out of the hedge.

 

“Hey pretty,” Lucy coos after a cursory glance around reveals no one is in hearing distance. “Got your breakfast again today.”

 

Lucy has already warred with herself over feeding the stray; she won’t be here forever, and she shouldn’t get attached, but…

 

The cat meows softly and then steps out of the hedge, revealing a bulging stomach.

 

“You’re not just eating for one anymore. You need to be careful.” Lucy glances around once more before shrugging her backpack off. She takes out a small pink bowl shaped like a fish and one of the foil packets.

 

She admires the white patch over the cat’s mouth and front paws briefly before depositing the bowl and tearing open the packet. “You look about ready to burst,” she says as she pours the food in.

 

The cat meows again before ducking its head down to eat. Its ears flick back and forth as the food disappears, sounding supremely satisfied.

 

Lucy chuckles and briefly scratches the furry head, not wanting to irritate the cat.

 

The cat purrs as it finishes, licking its whiskers and looking up at Lucy.

 

“No, that’s it for now.” She scratches the cat behind one of its ears. “I’ll see you again for dinner, okay?”

 

The cat looks on placidly as Lucy straightens, stretching and disappearing back into the hedge once it’s clear no more food is coming.

 

“Glad no one from the office can see this,” Lucy mutters as she re-mounts her bike. She has a reputation to uphold, after all.

 

*

 

The day slips by quickly with more biking and a conference call after lunch. She’s on sabbatical, but she’d go crazy if she wasn’t at least consulting on a few cases for friends. Lucy has always had a type A personality, though still decidedly different from her eldest sister.

 

She smiles when she thinks of Lois’s last call, a long one that had mostly consisted of Lois picking her brain for an expert opinion on one of Lois’s stories. They didn’t always gel well, especially considering Lucy had taken up with ‘the most blood sucking firm in California’ (Lois’s words, not hers), but they always worked things out.

 

Just as she’s considering giving her sister a call, Lucy’s stomach rumbles. She blinks and glances at the time. The conference call had taken longer than she’d anticipated, derailing her schedule, though only slightly.

 

Cooking doesn’t sound fun, so she takes another quick shower and pulls on jeans and a t-shirt. The sun is still out, and Lucy’s looking forward to the sun drenched path into town. The option to take her sedan is discarded as quickly as she thinks of it. The bike is her favored mode of transportation in the not-so-sleepy-town of Midvale for a reason.

 

She’s not dressed to really get a workout, but she still pedals slightly harder than she normally would for a casual evening ride.

 

The black head pokes out again as Lucy approaches, and she hears a plaintive meow in greeting.

 

“I know, I know. Sorry I’m late,” Lucy says as she hops off her bike and kicks the bike stand down. Her backpack slips off her shoulders easily. “My call ran long. I’ve got your food right he--”

 

“There you are!” comes a decidedly  _ unfamiliar _ voice.

 

Lucy turns in surprise, a foil packet and the bright pink bowl in each hand, respectively. It takes her a moment to realize the new arrival - a tall blonde woman in paint splattered jeans and a snug white shirt - is speaking to the  _ cat _ .

 

She freezes. The cat isn’t a stray?

 

The woman straightens, the feline in question now being held in (very well-defined) arms. The woman looks up.

 

The cat isn’t a stray, and her owner is  _ gorgeous _ .

 

“I’ve been worried about you, staying away so much longer than normal,” the woman addresses the cat again, frowning.

 

The cat remains silent, its tail swaying slowly back and forth.

 

“So, she’s yours, huh?” Lucy asks nervously.

 

The woman looks up, still frowning. “ _ He _ is mine, yes.”

 

Lucy blinks and forces her attention away from bright blue eyes to wander down to the bulging black body. “ _ He _ ? But she’s pregnant!” She gestures at the cat with both hands, forgetting about the food and bowl.

 

She blushes and clutches them tighter, glad that her tan has deepened so much in Midvale.

 

The woman makes a strangled noise in her throat. Before either she or Lucy can respond, another voice chimes in.

 

“Hey, Kara, you rushed off before you could confirm with Megan about dinner. Did yo--”

 

Lucy stares at Alex, not used to seeing her sometimes-surfing-buddy in denim and button-up. She has a sudden thought that she  _ really _ hopes this isn’t Alex’s girlfriend.

 

“Lucy,” Alex finishes with a blink. “What are you doing…” her eyes drop to Lucy’s hands. “You know, when I said you were my sister’s type, I didn’t think that you’d try kidnapping her cat.”

 

“I--you,” Lucy stutters as she turns to furiously stuff both the bowl and food into her backpack.

 

“Alex,” the blonde woman hisses.

 

_ Kara. Right, Kara _ . Lucy swallows and rubs her moist palms against the sides of her jeans. She takes a breath before turning back around. “I was  _ not _ trying to steal her cat. I just saw the little furball while I was biking one day, and the poor thing is pregnant and--”

 

Kara makes several unintelligible noises in her throat. “ _ He _ is not pregnant, and before you say  _ anything _ Alex, he’s not  _ fat _ either. He’s just...fluffy! Maybe a little chubby.”

 

Lucy once again stares at the cat, feeling oddly betrayed. The cat continues to stare serenely.

 

Alex snorts. “Well, let me take  _ little _ Tigger home so we can worry about  _ our _ dinner. Megan’s already waiting, and I kinda want to spend time with my girl some time  _ today _ , so…” She reaches out and takes careful possession of the cat from Kara, grunting once he’s settled against her chest.

 

“I--” Kara begins with a raised hand as Alex stalks brusquely away with the cat. “Well.”

 

“One day we’ll tell your kittens all about how Momma Kara met Momma Lucy,” Alex declares loudly enough for everyone in the neighborhood to hear.

 

“Alex,” Kara turns to shout with wide eyes, “he is  _ not _ pregnant!” She stops as the rest of Alex’s statement sinks in. “Oh.”

 

Lucy is torn between laughing and throwing something heavy at the back of Alex’s head. She squints. Alex is too far away for Lucy to guarantee not bringing harm to Kara’s cat. No dice.

 

Kara’s hand is over her mouth and there’s a faint blush on her cheeks as she turns back to face Lucy. “You’ve been feeding my cat,” comes the muffled statement.

 

The foil packet and bright pink bowl are put away, but Lucy’s still embarrassed. She considers the memory of the rather rotund cat and winces. “Sorry.”

 

“I, no,” Kara says as she plays with the tips of her hair. “I mean, I guess, thank you? You thought he was--anyway.” She clears her throat, and the flush that has almost dissipated is back and heavier than before. “I was about to have dinner with my sister and her girlfriend when I noticed Tigger was gone.”

 

Lucy’s stomach clenches painfully. Food. She came into town for food.

 

“I was thinking, since you’ve totally been feeding my cat, maybe I kind of like...owe you?” There’s a thick lock of hair curled around Kara’s index finger, and she won’t look directly at Lucy.

 

Lucy shifts from foot to foot. “Uh, no, not really. I kind of messed u--”

 

“Do you want to join us for dinner?” Kara blurts out. “I don’t think Alex would mind, and it’s the least I could do since,” Kara stops talking, chuckling nervously instead and brushing a hand over her face. “I suck at this,” she mutters.

 

Kara bites at her lower lip, snapping Lucy back to reality. It’s been a long time since Lucy has made time for anything like dating, and it had taken her a moment to realize what Kara had meant. “You actually don’t. I’m just sort of rusty, myself.”

 

“Oh. Oh!” Kara brightens, her hands dropping to tuck into her pockets. “So you want to join us, then?”

 

“I’d love to,” Lucy admits. “I just need to bring my bike.”

 

“That’s cool. I’ll walk with you. It’s not far.” Kara smiles and Lucy almost forgets to blink.

 

“Great, yeah.” Lucy turns to kick her bike stand up, maneuvering it so she can walk easily beside her companion. She ignores her own nerves, drawing from an unending well of confidence facing bigger opponents in court had given her over the years. “So, we haven’t formally met. I’m Lucy.”

 

“I’m Kara, Alex’s sister. Well, technically foster sister but we never say that. I teach art over at the middle school, and oh god I’m babbling.” Kara purses her lips, trying to obviously physically stop the outpouring of words.

 

Lucy laughs lowly, thinking Kara just might be the most  _ adorable _ person she’s ever met. “Art, huh? That’s pretty cool.”

 

“Yeah. I love kids and painting, so the job was kind of ideal and...I’m just going to stop talking now.” Kara turns her head away briefly.

 

Lucy laughs again, at ease and yet somehow incredibly  _ aware _ of the warmth exuding from the form next to her. “Don’t do that. How else will I get to know you?”

 

Kara makes a show of rolling her lips together and shaking her head.

 

“Hm.” Lucy looks thoughtful for a moment. “So why’d you name your cat Tigger? No offense, but why not like Bagheera or Hippo or something?”

 

She doesn’t have to wait for a response.

 

“He is  _ not _ fat. I’ll have you know that as a kitten he was  _ very _ active, and…”

 

Lucy grins the entire time Kara speaks, and when their shoulders brush and she feels a spark of  _ something _ , she has to take a breath and force herself not to look at her Fitbit.

 

She already knows her heart is pounding like crazy, and they haven’t even had dinner yet.

 

Lucy is really glad she decided to take this vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for all of your awesome comments! Let's show my friend some love :))
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	15. three's a crowd... or is it [Part 6]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt/Word: "Threesome or poly relationship" [Alex x Kara (with a twist); Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Being in a polyamorous relationship is still just a bit weird for Kara."
> 
>  
> 
> **Rated E for Explicit.**

“Can you pass me the popcorn?” Kara asked, cuddling further into Alex’s left side.

 

Without taking her eyes off the screen, Karen handed over the bowl, before snuggling further against Alex’s right side. She was also playing absentmindedly with Alex’s fingers, which had been stroking Karen’s shoulder a second ago.

 

While Kara continued to watch - completely enraptured - Karen turned her face into Alex’s neck and drew her nose along the skin. Alex shuddered as Karen started leaving small kisses in her wake as she moved up to Alex’s earlobe.

 

When Alex twitched, Kara pulled her eyes away from the screen.

 

The popcorn fell out of her hand when she saw that Alex’s eyes were closed and that Karen’s hand had moved to Alex’s stomach.

 

They’d been trying the whole polyamorous relationship thing for three weeks now, and Kara was still a little freaked out whenever she watched Karen and Alex share affection. Especially one that was so blatantly sexual in nature.

 

And even though Kara knew that Alex and Karen hadn’t had sex, she could tell that they both wanted it. She was also uncomfortably aware of how that made her feel, and how much she wanted to be included.

 

So when she saw Karen’s hand slide under Alex’s sweater, Kara took a deep breath and leaned in as well. The skin of Alex’s throat was soft and smelled faintly of the perfume she used. Something understated that complemented her body’s natural scent.

 

Nibbling gently on the skin of Alex’s neck, Kara placed her own hand on Alex’s thigh.

 

“How are you doing, Alex?” Karen husked, clearly aware that Kara had joined in with the teasing as well. “You seem a little tense. Can’t handle two Kryptonians at once?” She chuckled and Kara grinned against Alex’s skin, dragging her teeth along her sister’s pulse point.

 

“Evil,” Alex breathed, her hand gripping Kara’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “You’re both evil.” The scent of her arousal filled the room again; only this time Kara wasn’t scared. She was excited.

 

“And you’re beautiful,” Kara husked, pulling back so she could press her lips against Alex’s, drawing her into a long, open-mouthed kiss. “So beautiful.” Alex seemed to melt under her kiss and for a second Kara forget that anything else existed in the world.

 

At least until Karen pulled up Alex’s sweater, forcing Alex and Kara to break apart.

 

Eyes half-lidded, Alex let Karen pull the sweater over her head, leaving her in her black bra. Alex’s chest and stomach were gorgeous, and Kara took several seconds just to gawk at her sister. She’d been on the receiving end of this glorious visual multiple times, but she’d never been interesting in making love to Alex before.

 

Now she was.

 

Karen dropped the sweater onto the ground, before settling her hand on Alex’s naked stomach again. Swallowing harshly, Kara watched as Karen’s fingers drew over the sensitive skin below Alex’s belly button, making her abs tighten in response.

 

It was a truly gorgeous sight.

 

“Can I take off your bra?” Kara asked shyly while Karen resumed her nibbling and sucking on the skin behind Alex’s earlobe.

 

“Yeah,” Alex said breathlessly, moving forward a little so Kara could reach behind her.

 

Once the bra was off, Alex leaned back against the couch, her head falling against the backrest. She was panting softly, her chest moving up and down under Kara’s entranced gaze, while Karen slid off the couch and settled in between Alex’s thighs.

 

Balling her hands into fists on her thighs, Kara watched as Karen ran her hands over Alex’s chest, before grabbing her waist and kissing the skin she’d previously stroked with her fingers. For a moment that was all she did, before her tongue slid under the waistband of Alex’s jeans and panties. Not for long. Just to tease.

 

Alex’s arms were covered in goosebumps, and she opened her eyes to gaze at Kara, her look full of desire. It was an invitation, Kara realized. Further proof that Alex wanted _both_ of them. That Kara didn’t need to be afraid of Alex leaving her behind for Karen.

 

Reaching out with her hand, Alex cupped Kara’s cheek and smiled at her.

  
To Kara, she looked like a goddess. Like one of the ancient beings that had filled Krypton’s religion before it had been replaced with science. Spread out on the couch as she was, Alex looked and felt like something Kara had never even dared to dream of.

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered, curling her fingers around Alex’s arm and the hand on her cheek.

 

“I love you, too,” Alex replied, urging Kara forward and into another kiss.

 

-

 

Alex’s other hand reached down to clasp her fingers with Karen’s. After she’d told Kara that she loved her, she didn’t want Karen to feel left out, just because the two of them weren’t quite there yet.

 

Her whole body felt as though it were on fire, and she could feel how wet she was already. With Karen in between her legs and Kara kissing her so passionately, Alex had no idea how she was going to survive anything more.

 

She wasn’t even sure if they were ready for more.

 

Together, at least.

 

Sure, three weeks were a pretty decent chunk of time, but Alex didn’t want to rush them into anything - especially not Kara. If it had just been her and Karen, Alex would have made a move even sooner, but she knew Kara still felt just a little shaky about what the three of them had.

 

Karen squeezed her fingers, before letting go and placing both of her hands against Alex’s knees, and pushing her legs apart even further. Gasping at the sudden display of strength, Alex bucked her hips into the air and fisted both of her hands into Kara’s hair.

 

With the way things were going, Alex was pretty sure she’d be naked in no time, while Karen and Kara were still fully dressed. Even though Alex thought that wasn’t fair, she didn’t feel like she wanted to stop kissing Kara while Karen dragged her nails over the insides of Alex’s thighs, drawing closer to the apex with every caress.

 

Honestly, Alex had anticipated that she would feel more exposed under the watchful eyes of her two new girlfriends. But now that she was actually experiencing the moment - half-naked as she was with her legs spread wide open - there was no one else she rather would have shared herself with.

 

Kara and Karen.

 

They were everything that Alex wanted.

 

-

 

When Alex bucked up again and moaned into Kara’s mouth, Kara pulled away to look at what Karen was doing. Before she could focus, however, she was distracted by Alex’s lips and tongue on her throat, with Alex’s right hand cupping her neck to keep her steady.

 

Finally, as soon as Kara had found her bearing, she drew her eyes down to Karen, who was working loose Alex’s belt buckle. She gave Kara a wink and a smile, which made Kara blush.

 

“Time to get serious,” Karen husked, undoing the button on Alex’s jeans and pulling down the  zipper. “I hope you’re ready for some hot Kryptonian loving, Alex.” She was obviously joking, but as she slipped the tips of her fingers under Alex’s waistband, Kara pulled away.

 

She wasn’t ready.

 

“C-Can we…” she started, blushing even harder from the embarrassment. She wanted to be ready, she really did, but… “Can we stop?” She looked away, her body almost curling in on itself.

 

The warm wash of shame swept over Kara before she could stop it, and she rubbed a hand across her face. Alex and Karen were clearly ready for more; why couldn’t she be?

 

Before she could spiral any further, Alex’s arms were around her and Karen’s hand cupped her cheek.

 

“Of course we can stop,” Alex whispered, pressing a kiss against Kara’s temple. “We’re not going to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Her hands rubbed Kara’s arm in a soothing gesture.

 

Kara bit her bottom lip and looked at her doppelganger, searching for any sign on her own face that she was angry. What she saw instead was understanding, and something that looked an awful lot like recognition.

 

As though Karen had been in a much similar position when she’d been Kara’s age.

 

“How about we finish the movie and I’ll order us a pizza?” Karen asked gently, rubbing her thumb along Kara’s cheekbone. “Two large ones for you, too?” Her smile was so kind that Kara almost cried with relief when she nodded.

 

With a kiss to Kara’s forehead, Karen slipped her cellphone out of her pocket and walked into the kitchen to place her call, while Kara tried to avoid Alex’s eyes.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered, picking up Alex’s sweater.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Alex replied, pressing a kiss against Kara’s temple again. “If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. There’s nothing wrong with that.” She turned Kara’s face around with a hand on her cheek and pressed their lips together. “I never want you to regret what we have.”

 

Now Kara did sniffle.

 

“I want to do it, I do,” she whispered, clutching Alex’s sweater to her chest. “But…”

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“You don’t have to explain,” she said, giving Kara another small kiss. “If you don’t feel like it, you don’t feel like it.” She shrugged and leaned back, exposing her naked chest to Kara’s eyes once more. “I guess I just have to take it personally that all of this wasn’t enough to get you in the mood.”

 

Her smile was teasing and Kara smiled sadly, placing a shaking hand on Alex’s naked sternum.

 

“Trust me, it’s not a problem with how much I want you,” Kara murmured, tracing her fingers down and along Alex’s stomach. She flattened her palm against her sister’s beautiful abdominal muscles.

 

“That-” Alex cleared her throat. “That’s good to know.”

 

Smiling shyly, Kara handed over the sweater.

 

-

 

“How’s it going?” Winn asked slyly, sidling up next to Alex. “Any progress with the _ladies_?”

 

She gave him a glare and kicked him in the shin.

 

“Don’t talk about that here,” she whispered furiously, looking around to see if anyone had overheard him. When she didn’t see anybody, she let out a slow breath. If it were up to her, she would never tell anyone else from work that she was in a relationship with Kara and Karen.

 

Much less anxiety that way.

 

“Ow,” Winn complained, his pout just a bit exaggerated. “It’s not like anyone is going to be able to tell what I’m really talking about.” He leaned down to rub his shin. “You have really pointy boots.”

 

“Imagine what they could do to other parts of your body,” Alex whispered menacingly, picking up her tablet and leaving the lab without looking back at him. “And stop asking me about things that don’t concern you.”

 

He hobbled out after her.

 

“I’m just trying to be a friend,” he complained, crossing his arms over his chest. “Kara told me that she’s feeling a bit embarrassed but she wouldn’t tell me what it was about, so I thought I’d just ask you.”

 

Alex raised her eyebrow at him.

 

“Because you thought I’d be so much more forthcoming?” she asked, pushing into her office to pick up a file she’d left behind the day before. Following her into the room, he closed the door behind himself and locked it. Alex gave him a dubious look. “What do you think you’re doing?”

 

“I’m trying to help a bro out,” he said, lifting both of his hands up in surrender. “The fact that Kara didn’t want to tell me what the problem was means it’s really bad, so you obviously need my help.”

 

Now Alex was the one crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“I’m not going to tell you anything,” she said, already plenty ticked off that Kara had told him all about their polyamorous relationship in the first place. Sure, he’d been suspecting things all on his own, but there was a difference between suspecting and _knowing_.

 

“Come on,” he encouraged her, placing his hands at his hips. “I’m not going to tell anybody. I know you’d gut me like a fish if I did. _And_ you know I’m terrified of you.” He raised both eyebrows. “Just tell me.”

 

Frowning deeply, Alex sighed to herself.

 

She should’ve probably been talking to Maggie about everything, but talking to Maggie about relationship stuff still felt too weird. Considering how Alex had been trying to go out with her first.

 

“Fine,” Alex acquiesced, putting down the tablet on her desk. “But I’m not going to give you any details to perv over.” The thought of Winn knowing anything at all about her sex life was disturbing to say the least.

 

Thankfully, he screwed up his face in the appropriate amount of disgust.

 

“Please, _spare_ me any details,” he said, leaning his back against the door. “You’re like a weird, violent older sister to me. The less I know about it the better.” He mock-shuddered and Alex had to bite back a smile at the sister comment.

 

Sitting down on the edge of her desk, she braced herself for what she was about to say.

 

“Karen, Kara and I fooled around two days ago, but when things got too serious, Kara asked us to stop,” she said, trying to keep things as unspecific as possible. No way was she going to tell Winn how far they’d gone. “I guess that’s why she was embarrassed.”

 

His expression of distaste didn’t change.

 

“Kara isn’t a virgin, is she?” he asked, clearly uncomfortable asking that personal question about his friend. When Alex shook her head, he nodded thoughtfully. “Well… maybe she was overwhelmed that you’re three people.” He shrugged, his face growing red. “Maybe it would be better to try some… I can’t believe I’m about to say this. Maybe it would be better if you tried some one-on-one action first.”

 

Alex hummed.

 

“I don’t want Karen to feel left out,” she finally said, running a hand through her hair.

 

“She doesn’t have to. She can be, I don’t know, she can be in the room while you do it, right?” At least this conversation seemed to be just as painful for him as it was for Alex. She couldn’t believe she was asking Winn for advice… and that what he was suggesting wasn’t actually all that terrible.

 

“Maybe you should write a self-help column,” she said, voice completely dead-pan. “You could call it something like _Winn Wonders_ .” She grinned when he huffed. “Or how about _Dating Tips from the DEO_.”

 

He unlocked the door.

 

“Rude,” he said, shaking his index finger at her. “I did this for Kara, just so we’re clear.”

 

“Right,” she teased, picking up her tablet and the file she’d left behind. “Of course.”

 

Grumbling, he left her office.

 

-

 

“Everything okay?” Karen asked, sliding her hands around Alex’s waist and pressing a kiss against her temple. “You seem sort of tense.” Hugging Alex close, Karen placed her chin on Alex’s shoulder.

 

“Just worried about Kara,” Alex replied, continuing to chop the carrots in front of her. “I think she’s scared that she’s holding us back, because she’s not ready to have sex with us.” Biting her bottom lip, she let go of both the carrots and the knife and placed her hands over Karen’s. “Winn suggested something about that today.”

 

Karen chuckled.

 

“You talked to Winn about our sex life?” She nuzzled Alex’s neck. “Are you really my girlfriend? Or are you a sentient robot who actually speaks to her friends about her problems?” Her hands tightened on Alex’s stomach.

 

“Rude,” Alex replied, turning around in the embrace and putting her hands on Karen’s cheeks. “Kara talked to him first. I was forced to react when he trapped me in my own office.” She brushed her nose against Karen’s.

 

“Alright, I’ll play along,” Karen whispered, dipping down to press her lips against Alex’s for a quick peck. “What did Winn suggest we do to make Kara feel more comfortable? I know how nervous I was during my first polyamorous relationship.”

 

Alex didn’t ask.

 

Now wasn’t the time.

 

“He said that she’s probably intimidated that you’re both trying to have sex with me at the same time,” she said, stroking her thumbs over Karen’s gorgeous cheekbones. “So I think it might be best if maybe… I start with Kara and then you can join in later… if that’s okay with you.”

 

Even though she was pretty sure that Karen wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, Alex still worried somewhat. After all, they still needed to have a bunch of conversations concerning boundaries and sex. Which they really should have had already.

 

“Do you think it would be alright if I watched?” Karen asked gently, squeezing Alex’s waist.

 

“That’s probably something we should ask Kara,” Alex replied, her cheeks blushing at the visual of Karen watching very closely as Alex made love to Kara. It was a tantalizing idea, and Alex hoped that Kara would be alright with it, too.

 

“Yeah,” Karen agreed, leaning down and ghosting her lips over Alex’s mouth. “Because I would love to watch you make love to Kara. Or to watch Kara make love to you.” Her words were soft and loving, and even though they should’ve sounded dirty, they didn’t.

 

-

 

“Hey,” Kara called out as she entered Alex’s apartment. “Sorry, Snapper had me running down this lead for a stupid story of his, and no one wanted to talk to me. I finally just had to use my x-ray vision.”

 

She seemed a little bedraggled as she shrugged off her coat, and Alex was on her feet immediately to pick up Kara’s work purse while Karen pulled out a bottle of juice from the fridge. By now they were like a well-oiled machine.

 

“Sorry to hear that,” Alex said, giving Kara a quick peck on the lips. “Let’s heat you up some dinner.”

 

Kara moaned at the idea of food and wrapped both arms around Alex’s neck.

 

“I’m so hungry,” she whined, letting herself get dragged over to Alex’s kitchen. “I wanted to get a snack on the way back to CatCo, but then Snapper called and told me he couldn’t wait anymore.” She grumbled into Alex’s neck. “I hate him.”

 

“He sounds like a jerk,” Karen agreed, putting the leftover lasagna with veggies they’d had for dinner into the microwave. “Maybe Alex and I should pay him a little visit and put the fear of god into him.”

 

Sighing, Kara slumped even further into Alex’s arms.

 

“That would be amazing,” she said, almost pulling Alex to the ground with her weight. “But it would probably only make him meaner, and then the world would explode and we’d all be dead.”

 

Alex sniggered.

 

“Drama queen,” she said, kissing Kara’s hair. “Go and eat your lasagna.”

 

As soon as Kara was done, she smiled and leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder.

 

“Better?” Alex asked, wrapping her arm around her sister’s side.

 

Kara nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Amazing,” she moaned happily, cuddling further into Alex’s arms. “It was delicious.” Karen had done most of the work, but at least Alex had cut up some of the vegetables. “I could just fall asleep right now. Can you carry me to bed?”

 

Curling her arms around Alex’s neck, Kara closed her eyes and took off her glasses.

 

“I can try,” Alex said, pushing her left arm under Kara’s knees and hefting her into her arms. Since she was a Kryptonian, Kara was a lot heavier than she looked, but Alex wasn’t so easily deterred. Still, she was glad that Karen was following them, just in case Alex’s back broke in half.

 

As soon as they reached the bed, Kara flopped down dramatically.

 

“Thanks,” she whispered, reaching out and patting Alex’s leg. “Best girlfriend foster sister ever.”

 

Karen chuckled, before slumping down next to Kara, leaving an Alex-sized gap in between them.

 

“Time to get your cuddle on, Agent Danvers,” she teased, grinning as Alex rolled her eyes before climbing over Kara and settling down in between her two Kryptonians. Immediately, Kara and Karen both curled around her, and Alex smiled.

 

For a few moments, none of them spoke, as Alex slowly drew her hands along Kara and Karen’s backs. Being with them like this was amazing, and told Alex time and time again that they were making the right choice by being together.

 

“Hey, Kara?” Alex asked, turning her head to the left and giving Kara’s head a gentle kiss.

 

Kara gave an answering hum to tell Alex that she was listening.

 

“Karen and I had an idea… about how you could be more comfortable with us,” Alex said, stroking her index finger along Kara’s shoulder blades. When she didn’t feel Kara tense, Alex took that as a good sign. “We were thinking that maybe you and I could start and if you’re comfortable, Karen could join in.”

 

Karen brushed her fingers along the back of Kara’s hand.

 

“And I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I watched,” she asked Kara gently. “But if you rather I didn’t, that’d be alright, too. I just want you to feel comfortable with what we have, and if it takes you a while longer, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

 

Alex squeezed Karen’s shoulder in thanks for her more eloquent words.

 

Sitting up, Kara looked down at both of them.

 

“I want to try,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “And I don’t mind if you watch, Karen… I think there’s just something in my head that’s blocking me.” She seemed frustrated at the idea and Alex sat up as well to press a kiss against her lips.

 

“You don’t have to decide anything today,” she promised, placing another kiss on Kara’s cheek.

 

“But if I did want to try today… would you be in the mood for it?” Kara’s words were quiet and tentative, and Alex blinked at her for a couple of seconds while Karen sat up as well. That was one question Alex hadn’t expected.

 

“Yeah,” Alex said, taking Kara’s hand.

 

“Okay,” Kara replied, leaning in and pressing her lips against Alex’s.

 

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, Alex tenderly pushed Kara onto the bed while Karen scooted to the side a bit to give them more room. Alex could feel Karen’s blazing eyes on them, and the thought only spurred her on.

 

“I’m going to take off my sweater,” Alex husked, sliding her leg in between both of Kara’s.

 

“Yes,” Kara groaned, slowly grinding her hips against Alex’s thigh. Her eyes flit over to Karen, who gave her a reassuring smile. While Alex took off her sweater, Kara placed her hands on her hips, gaze moving back to Alex. “You’re so beautiful.”

 

“So are you,” Alex whispered, sliding her hands under Kara’s blouse. “Can I take this off?”

 

Nodding slightly, Kara let herself be undressed.

 

First the blouse, then the bra, with Alex’s soon to follow.

 

Next came Alex’s jeans. Kara’s skirt. Alex’s boxer briefs. Kara’s panties.

 

Alex could barely describe the feeling of being enveloped in Kara’s naked arms. Of being pressed together from head to toe with Kara’s wetness against her thigh. The amalgamation of sensations was nearly causing Alex to lose her mind.

 

Not only was this the first time she’d be having sex with Kara; it would be the first time she’d be having sex with another woman entirely.

 

“You feel amazing,” Kara breathed, running her hands over Alex’s naked back, nails leaving thin red lines in their wake. Again she moved her hips into Alex’s thigh, smearing her wetness along Alex’s skin.

 

The feeling was unbelievably intoxicating.

 

“I’m going to touch you now,” Alex whispered, sliding her right hand in between their bodies. “Do you want that? Are you ready for that?” Her nails trailed along Kara’s flat, muscular belly. “Do you want me to touch you, Kara?”

 

“Yes, please,” Kara whimpered, leaning up and capturing Alex’s lips in a passionate kiss. When Alex finally slipped her fingers into Kara’s folds, feeling Kara moan into her mouth made the whole experience perfect.

 

Alex drew her fingers through her sister’s wetness, sliding up to rub her clit.

 

“I love you,” Alex murmured, pulling away from the kiss to look at Karen, who was watching them with a look of unending desire in her eyes. Karen’s gaze moved from their faces down to in between their bodies, where Alex was moving her fingers in circles over Kara’s clit. Back and forth and back and forth.

 

“I love you, too,” Kara whimpered, throwing back her head and panting openly.

 

Focusing her attention back on Kara, Alex slid down her fingers.

 

“Okay?” she asked, kissing Kara’s cheek.

 

“Yes,” she murmured, quivering when Alex rubbed along her opening. “I need you.”

 

Alex’s moan was almost louder than Kara’s when she pushed inside.

 

As she thrust in and out, Alex pressed her forehead against Kara’s chin, her own wetness rubbing up and down on Kara’s thigh. This was even better than Alex had imagined, and it definitely proved to Alex what she’d suspected since making the gay connection.

 

She’d been born to do this.

 

“Alex,” Kara panted, digging her nails deeper into Alex’s back before immediately moving them to the bed, obviously afraid of crushing Alex. “I… fuck.” Kara didn’t swear, but hearing her lose control like this was unbelievably sexy. “Alex. Alex. _Alex_ .”   


The sound was like music to Alex’s ears.

 

Moving her thumb up to Kara’s clit, Alex dragged her teeth along the underside of Kara’s jaw.

 

It didn’t take much more to make Kara come.

 

-

 

Still feeling boneless after her orgasm, Kara let out a long breath and enjoyed the feeling of having a completely naked Alex on top of her. It was even better than she had envisioned, and she wrapped her arms around Alex to hold her close.

 

“That was…” Kara started, opening her eyes and looking over at Karen.

 

“A great idea?” Karen finished the sentence, winking at Kara, who simply nodded. “I know. Now I think we should take care of our beautiful agent. I can smell her all the way over here.” She grinned when Alex groaned and buried her head even further in Kara’s neck.

 

“It doesn’t sound very sexy when you say that I smell,” Alex complained, slowly rolling off of Kara so she was in between her and Karen. “That makes it sound like I haven’t showered in a week.”

 

Karen raised one of her eyebrows.

 

“Do you want me to say that you smell _delicious_? And that you make my mouth water?” she teased, rubbing her hand across Alex’s naked stomach. Karen was still fully dressed, and she looked over to Kara. “Will you be okay if I take off my clothes?”

 

For a second, Kara wondered if it would be. She didn’t feel weird or ashamed being naked in front of Karen, and she had a feeling that seeing her naked wouldn’t cause her any permanent mental damage. Especially since Karen’s body was basically her own.

 

Kara nodded.

 

“Alright,” she said, leaning up on her elbow and looking down at Alex while Karen super sped her clothes away. When they were all naked, Alex gulped, her eyes seemingly unable to decide which body she’d rather be looking at. The sight was absolutely adorable.

 

“Do you mind if I make Alex come first?” Karen asked Kara, drawing her index finger over the inside of Alex’s thigh, visibly making Alex quiver. When Kara shook her head no, Karen smiled at her and settled herself down in between Alex’s legs.

 

Swallowing hard, Kara watched as Karen curled her arms around Alex’s hips to hold her still. Alex’s eyes were shut tight and she groaned low in her throat when Karen slowly started licking and sucking on her folds.

 

It felt almost obscene to watch, but Kara couldn’t look away.

 

She only tore her eyes back to Alex’s face, when her sister made a blind grab for her arm.

 

“Kiss me,” Alex husked, tugging on Kara’s wrist. “Please.”

 

Kara was powerless to resist.

 

Placing her hands on Alex’s chest, Kara leaned down to bring their mouths together.

 

Hearing the soft hitches of breath and moans from Alex was like music to Kara’s ears and she couldn’t wait to get her turn. Especially when Alex gasped and arched up her back in pleasure, clearly indicating that Karen knew exactly what she was doing.

 

The moment was incredibly intimate, and Kara was glad to realise that she had absolutely no qualms about sharing this part of Alex like she’d shared most everything else of her sister with Karen.

 

There was nothing wrong about the way they loved, and when Alex came (her head thrown back; one hand in Karen’s hair and the other curled around Kara’s back), Kara realized there was no place she’d rather be.

 

-

 

“Kara, do you know where I put my keys?” Alex asked, trying to do up her shirt after having been on the phone with the DEO. “Karen? Anyone? I can’t find my keys anywhere.” She almost fell over a pair of shoes.

 

When Kara popped her head inside, Alex was glad to see the key chain hanging from her index finger.

 

“Thanks, sweetheart, you’re a lifesaver,” Alex said as she pulled the phone out from in between her shoulders and stuffed it into her jeans pocket. “Has Karen left already? She was supposed to fly me into work.”

 

“She’s run down to the bakery to get you your favorite donuts,” Kara informed her, stuffing the keys into Alex’s jeans and pressing a small kiss against her lips. “And a couple of sticky buns for us.”

 

Grinning, Alex cupped both of Kara’s cheeks and gave her an even longer kiss.

 

Six months and Alex was just as in love as she had been from the moment she’d realized her feelings for Kara.

 

“I’m back,” Karen called out, putting the four paper bags down on the kitchen counter. “I had to fight some people down at the corner who were trying to knife some poor kid. They didn’t expect that asswooping from Power Girl.”

 

Pulling away from Kara, Alex pulled her sister along by the hand.

 

This was her life now.

 

And it was damn good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is it! i hope you liked how it ended! Time to move on from this AU :) i will miss Karen tho. My love ♥
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for checking this!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	16. you keep the world at bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Silence" [Alex x Kara; Fluff-Angst]
> 
> Summary: "Alex understands Kara without words."

Alex had always understood Kara without words.

 

In the darkness of her bedroom, her sixteen year-old self had known to reach out to Kara when she’d shuffled inside after a nightmare. They’d never spoken about any of them - that was what Kara’s special therapist was for - but she’d known. She’d always known. 

 

They didn’t need to speak about it, because Kara had told her enough about Krypton for Alex to recognize the hollowness in Kara’s eyes whenever she lay in the darkness. Lay in Alex’s arms. Tried to keep the demons at bay.

 

And when Kara looked at her the morning after, Alex knew what Kara needed, and while her mom puttered about in the kitchen before work, Alex made Kara chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and whipped cream.

 

Alex took her job damn seriously.

 

Even then, when she’d been a kid herself, her life had revolved around keeping Kara safe. Which included realizing warning signs whenever Kara got upset or unhappy. So when Kara asked the boy in school that she liked to prom and he told her no, Alex knew immediately, even though Kara didn’t tell her.

 

And yeah, sure, Alex had planned on attending just to keep an eye on Kara, but when she realized what the problem was and why Kara’s smile seemed sort of forced, Alex knew she had to step up her game. So she took Kara dress shopping and forced herself through four hours of running through all sorts of clothing stores to find Kara the perfect dress. After which Kara made her get a nice dress, too.

 

Prom night had ended up kind of alright in the end, even though Alex had been forced to run interference multiple times between Kara and the guy who had said no to her. Alex knew Brad would forever be on her shit list.

 

At the end of the night, Alex had known that Kara wanted to go home from the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes anymore; and even though Alex had just figured out how to have a good time, she’d acted like it had been her idea to leave all along. 

 

Kara didn’t call her out on it.

 

She knew Alex almost as well as Alex knew her.

 

And when they walked up the steps to the house (the lights were off because Alex’s mom was off at an important science convention), Alex knew how much Kara had been dreaming of getting a good night kiss at the end of prom. Ideally, it should have come from Brad; but Kara would have to make do.

 

Alex grinned when she pulled away, a look of surprised wonder on Kara’s face.

 

It didn’t matter, because Alex wasn’t gay and neither was Kara. It was just a nice thing to do for the alien sister Alex hadn’t wanted. The alien sister Alex had resented for weeks before she’d finally understood that Kara hadn’t asked to be left behind and forgotten by her great and important cousin.

 

It mattered only in the context of the night, and Alex didn’t dwell on how her lips had tingled when she’d kissed her foster sister. Or how Kara’s eyes stayed closed for several seconds after they pulled away. Because it didn’t matter.

 

(It would take years for Alex to realize why it did.)

 

-

 

“Hey, can you hand me the-” 

 

The wrench was put into Alex’s hand before she could finish her sentence, and she looked up to see Kara standing next to her in her Supergirl outfit. They were at the DEO, and Alex was fiddling with a new contraption that would hopefully help them foil Cadmus’s master plan. She’d expected Winn to still be around somewhere, but instead he seemed to have vacated the room.

 

“Thanks,” Aley murmured, immediately going back to work.

 

She could already tell that Kara wanted to talk about something. At the same time, she could see the lines of worry on Kara’s forehead, telling Alex that what her foster sister needed right now was for Alex to seem distracted.

 

Like what Kara was saying wouldn’t be a big deal at all.

 

“Mon-El asked me to mate with him,” Kara said quietly, moving back and forth behind Alex’s back. “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” She walked faster, but Alex only continued to move the wrench up and down to tighten one of the screws. “I mean, I like him, he’s attractive, but I don’t know if I like him enough to  _ mate _ . This is all so sudden. I just broke up with James.”

 

Alex squinted down at her blueprints. 

 

She needed… 

 

Kara handed her the drill.

 

“And why would he ask me this now? We haven’t been on a single date,” Kara continued to rant, stopping next to Alex without looking at her before moving off again. “And I don’t even know if I  _ want  _ to date him. He hasn’t exactly been very nice to me.”

 

The drill poked three identical holes into the side of the metal. 

 

“I feel like something is trying to push me into his arms, when i don’t really want to be there.” Kara crossed her arms over her chest and growled in frustration. Alex could see her sister’s reaction in the shiny wall in front of her. “He makes me so angry and he’s so selfish. And I know he tries, but he just.  _ Ugh _ .”

 

Reaching under the table for her bag, Alex pulled out a candy bar and wordlessly held it out to Kara, who snatched it up immediately and tore off the wrapper. The candy bar was gone in a matter of seconds.

 

“Why did he have to make everything so awkward?” Angrily, Kara threw the wrapper into the trash. “Did you know that he said I try to save people because I like the attention?” She kicked one of the metal tables and the material bent out of shape. Alex gave her a look. “Sorry.”

 

In a second, the metal was back in position.

 

“Anyway,” Kara continued, sitting down on Alex’s blueprints. “I know what you’re going to say.” Kara furrowed her brows in a mock-imitation of Alex’s facial expression. “He isn’t good enough for you, Kara. You only just broke up with James a month ago, Kara. Don’t enter into a lifelong commitment with a guy you just met, Kara.” Her voice was unnaturally deep as well and Alex raised her eyebrow.

 

“And I know, I know, you’re right,” Kara said, floating up when Alex made a grab for the blueprints. “But how am I supposed to tell him that I don’t want to mate with him? He looked so hopeful and I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

 

She floated around Alex next.

 

“I’m supposed to think about my own feelings first and I can’t just mate with someone so I don’t ever have to hurt them.” Kara sighed and floated up to the ceiling. “I know I have to tell him that I can’t do this, but it’s going to break his heart.”

 

When Kara landed back on the ground, she slumped against Alex’s back.

 

“Being liked is so difficult.” Kara pressed her forehead against Alex’s neck and breathed in her scent. “Can you tell me what to do, please? I need you to tell me what to do.” She huffed and the feeling of air hitting Alex’s neck made goosebumps appear on her skin. “And don’t tell me that I already know what to do.”

 

Alex chuckled.

 

Wrapping her arms around Alex’s waist, Kara plopped her chin on Alex’s shoulder.

 

“Can I tell him that I’m mated to you instead? I bet he won’t be as crushed if I just tell him I’m already taken…” Alex didn’t even look up from the screw she was trying to stick inside the machine. “No, that wouldn’t work… He knows Maggie and that you liked her… Hm…” Kara moved her head from side to side. “I hate this.”

 

She let out another slow breath. 

 

“Can you come with me when I tell him?” Kara’s voice was small, and Alex reached back with her hand to pat her head. “You’re the best, and you give the best advice, too.” Grinning, Kara pressed a kiss against Alex’s cheek. “Thanks for the talk.”

 

Alex hummed in agreement and with another squeeze to her waist Kara was gone.

 

-

 

The talk with Mon-El went as well as could have been expected - by anyone  _ but  _ Mon-El, apparently. He hadn’t cried, but he’d looked pretty distraught by the whole conversation. Alex had been lurking around half behind Kara, and when she’d seen her sister had been about to reach out, she’d taken Kara’s hand instead to stop her from making it any worse.

 

On the way home to Kara’s apartment, Alex and Kara didn’t say a single word.

 

And when Kara flopped down on the couch, Alex grabbed ice cream from the freezer and two spoons from the kitchen. Even though Kara’s eyes were closed, Alex knew she wouldn’t say no to a bit of ice cream and a foot massage.

 

“Thanks,” Kara said when she felt the cold tub of ice cream on her stomach. “I feel like I could sleep for three-hundred years. I can’t believe I had to break someone else’s heart.” She sat up enough so she could stick her spoon into the ice cream. “First Winn, then James, now Mon-El. It’s like the universe keeps shoving all of these people at me and I’m never in the right place for any of them.”

 

Alex slipped off Kara’s shoes and socks.

 

“I should probably just take some time for myself,” Kara said around a mouthful of ice cream while Alex continued to rub and massage her feet. “God, that feels good. You always know what I need.”

 

Smiling, Alex opened her mouth so Kara could shovel some ice cream into it.

 

With a giggle, Kara delivered, accidentally smearing a bit of ice cream on Alex’s chin. 

 

“Sorry,” she said, putting the tub of ice cream on the coffee table and sitting up. “Let me just clean that up.” Leaning in further, Kara cupped Alex’s cheek and licked the ice cream off Alex’s skin. “I paid good money for that triple chocolate chip flavor.”

 

Alex’s fingers momentarily stilled on Kara’s feet.

 

It didn’t matter now, either.

 

Back when they’d been teenagers, it didn’t matter because Alex hadn’t known she was gay and Kara was straight. Kara was still straight now, and even though Alex had recently readjusted her perspective on her own sexuality, that didn’t mean she wanted Kara in that way.

 

And Kara knew that, too.

 

-

 

Three months down the line, when Alex woke up in the DEO’s medical wing, the first thing she noticed was the blonde head resting on her stomach. The head was attached to a body that was clothed in a rumpled and torn Supergirl suit.

 

Alex tried to speak, but her body felt too sluggish and her tongue too heavy.

 

Instead, she twitched the fingers of her right hand, which was held tightly in both of Kara’s.

 

Her sister was awake immediately.

 

“Alex?” she asked frantically, immediately hovering over Alex and touching her shoulders gently with her hands. “Oh thank Rao you’re awake. I was so scared. Do you remember what happened?” She cupped Alex’s cheeks next and pressed a few kisses against her forehead.

 

Alex remembered… fighting Cadmus… finding her dad… being… stuck…

 

She shook her head.

 

Kara sniffled.

 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, stroking Alex’s cheeks. “They had more kryptonite than we thought.” Heavy tears fell on Alex’s forehead and Alex forced herself to move her hand. It twitched enough for Kara to realize what Alex wanted and she pulled it up to place it against her own cheek so Alex could wipe away her tears with her thumb.

 

“They shot me and the building was collapsing and I couldn’t move and you pushed me out of the way.” Kara clutched tightly at Alex’s hand. “The rubble broke your leg in three places, Alex, I’m sorry.”

 

Shrugging, Alex smiled up at Kara, who sniffled even harder.

 

“I know…” she whispered. “As long as I’m safe, right? That’s what you were going to say?” 

 

Alex only continued to smile.

 

“We’re going to get you back to full health. I promise I’ll be there every step of the way,” Kara said, sitting down on Alex’s hospital bed and sliding her fingers up and down on Alex’s arm. “You can stay at my apartment and I’ll take care of you. I’ll fly you to physical therapy every day.”

 

Trying to speak again, Alex started coughing instead, prompting Kara to grab the water by Alex’s bedside.

 

“Here you go,” she whispered, pushing the straw in between Alex’s lips. “I’ve got you now, Alex. I've got you.” Her fingers sifted through Alex’s hair as Alex drank, and Kara’s eyes held so much love that Alex almost cried herself.

 

Putting the glass back on the bedside table, Kara drew her fingers along Alex’s forehead next. 

 

“I love you,” she said, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss against Alex’s chapped lips. “I know you don’t need me to thank you for saving my life, but…” She kissed Alex again. Chastely. “You’ve saved my life every day since I came here, and I’ve never once thanked you for that.”

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“I know…” Kara whispered, trailing the tips of her fingers over Alex’s lips. “You were just being you.” She smiled tremulously. “But I almost lost you, and I can’t pretend anymore that what we have isn’t…” 

 

With a sad smile, Alex twitched her hand again until Kara picked it up and pressed her lips against it. 

 

And Alex knew.

 

And she knew that Kara knew.

 

That from now on.

  
Their kisses would matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for checking this over for me!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	17. different time, different place [Part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Best friends" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Alex stumbles upon something on the beach. She takes it home."

“Screw you, too, mom,” Alex mumbled as she made her way along the beach with her hands stuffed into her pockets. She was more than a little frustrated as she kicked a small rock along the shore.

 

She knew she’d regret wearing her shoes out here in the sand, but at this very moment she couldn’t have cared less. Right now, she was one-hundred-and-twenty pounds of pissed off teenage angst.

 

And no, her mother telling her that ‘ _ life isn’t fair, Alexandra _ ’ did  _ not  _ help.

 

Alex was so angry, she barely jumped as a meteor soared through the evening sky.

 

Instead, she blinked in confusion as the ground shook and the meteor landed in front of her.

 

_ Landed _ .

 

_ In a controlled manner. _

 

“Holy shit,” she murmured, pulling her headphones out of her ears. “Holy fucking shit.”

 

She wasn’t allowed to swear around the house, but out here there was no one who could tell her off. She blinked again. The meteor was still there. Only… it wasn’t really a meteor. 

 

Alex almost dropped her headphones into the sand.

 

“Spaceship,” she whispered, running her hand through her newly shortened brunette hair. “A spaceship.” 

 

Alex looked around herself.

 

No one else was there.

 

“A spaceship,” she muttered again, stuffing her headphones into the right pocket of her jean shorts. Walking slowly, she gaped at the steaming hot piece of metal on the sand. The heat of the impact had turned some of the sand around it to glass.

 

As she slowly made her way across the beach, she wondered briefly if she was overreacting. Maybe this wasn’t a spaceship at all. Maybe it was a satellite that had been forced to land for some inexplicable reason. 

 

Her whole body was shaking with excitement by the time she reached the edge of the glass.

 

She didn’t dare move closer for fear of burning herself, but she could see inside the metal contraption now. It was shaped almost like a fish - fins and all. Although Alex supposed they were supposed to be wings, perhaps.

 

The top half was made of a clear material, and when Alex finally allowed herself a peek inside, she gasped. 

 

Definitely a spaceship.

 

Definitely, definitely a spaceship.

 

Inside was a sleeping girl. 

 

Her blonde hair reached down to her shoulders and she was dressed in a long white robe. The letter S was embroidered on her chest and her hands were folded over her stomach. If Alex had to guess, she would’ve put this girl’s age somewhere close to her own.

 

She had high cheekbones and a small scar over her left eyebrow.

 

Her clothing definitely seemed alien, but she looked so  _ human  _ that Alex wasn’t completely sure what to think of the situation. There was no doubt in Alex’s mind that the girl had come straight out of space, but… was there a colony of humans somewhere up there?

 

If only the damn glass and the metal weren’t so hot.

 

Then maybe Alex could find a way to get inside and figure all of this out.

 

For several moments, Alex wondered what she should do next. After all, she couldn’t simply leave this girl here all by herself; it was entirely possible the girl couldn’t even speak English. Should she call the police?

 

Bringing people into the mix who had guns didn’t seem like the best course of action either.

 

Her parents, maybe?

 

Alex’s mind flashed to her mother’s disapproving face. She couldn’t go to her mother until she’d exhausted every other possibility. It wasn’t every day that a spaceship landed in Midvale - and in front of Alex no less.

 

She was on the verge of putting her foot on top of the glass when the spaceship gave off a low hissing sound. 

 

Gulping in fear, Alex watched the top of the spaceship flip open. 

 

_ If she’s evil, I’m so dead _ ,” Alex thought to herself, trying not to let that thought linger in her mind. There were certainly worse ways to die than by a rogue alien who had come to take over Earth. Especially by one who looked so pretty.

 

The spaceship spoke in a language Alex didn’t understand, if it was a language at all. The flow of the words were so completely different from any language that Alex had heard over the years. 

 

“Um,” she said, wondering if she could talk to the spaceship. “Can you understand me?”

 

The side of the spaceship glowed, showing Alex weird symbols.

 

She was almost startled backwards when a cool, female voice answered her question.

 

“Good evening,” it said, and Alex’s mouth dropped open. “Is this Earth, Sector 2814 on the Orion Arm of the Milky Way? Virgo Supercluster?” There were no speakers that Alex could see. The voice just seemed to materialize all around her.

 

“Yeah, this is Earth, um, of the Milky Way.” Was she sleeping right now? Was this just a weird dream? This couldn’t be real, could it? She pinched her own arm. 

 

Definitely real.

 

“Are you friend or foe?” the spaceship asked, making the hairs on the back of Alex’s neck stand up.

 

“Friend,” she said quickly, hoping that the machine would believe her and wouldn’t try to hurt her in any way. Sure, she was mad at her mother  _ now _ , but she didn’t want her to have to find Alex’s remains next to a broken down alien spacecraft. “I’m here to help; I promise.”

 

“Initiate reanimation process,” the spaceship said next, causing the sides to glow with symbols all over again. The light was almost too bright to look at, but Alex forced herself to watch what would happen to the girl inside. “Reanimation completed in ten, nine, eight…”

 

By the time the spacecraft reached the number one, the blonde girl had opened her eyes.

 

They were bluer than the ocean and Alex had to force down the urge to run forward and help the girl sit up. The ground still seemed very hot and Alex had no intention of melting first her shoes and then her feet.

 

The girl looked around herself with confusion, before her eyes settled on Alex.

 

She blinked, then she opened her mouth and the same strange language that Alex had heard before poured out of her mouth. Gritting her teeth, Alex shrugged her shoulders. What else was she supposed to do?

 

“Um, spaceship?” Alex asked, watching realization dawn on the girl’s face. “Can you tell her that I don’t understand a word she’s saying? Please?” She dug the tips of her boots further into the sand as the spaceship spoke in the foreign language.

 

The girl nodded, before standing up on shaky legs.

 

She wasn’t wearing any shoes and when it looked as though she wanted to step out of the spaceship, Alex made a noise of protest and threw up her hands. Startling terribly, the girl drew back from Alex.

 

“The ground,” Alex said, pointing at the glass that had once been sand. “It’s hot.”

 

This was going to be tough.

 

Again, the spaceship spoke and the girl gave Alex a small, reassuring smile. Steadying herself on the roof of the ship, the girl stepped onto the glass, and… nothing happened. She didn’t cry out in pain and her feet didn’t start blistering.

 

The heat had no effect.

 

_ Seriously not human _ , Alex thought to herself as the girl came to stand in front of her. Her hands were folded in front of her body and she bowed slightly to Alex, who scrambled to repeat the gesture.

 

“Kara,” the girl said, pressing a hand to her own chest. “Kara Zor-El.”

 

Comprehension dawned on Alex, and she pressed her own hand against her chest.

  
“Alex Danvers,” she said, wondering how the hell she’d managed to stumble upon a spaceship. She’d been pissed because her mom wouldn’t let her take a road trip with her friends, and now here she was with a clearly alien girl who was immune to heat. “This is fucking weird.”

 

The girl frowned and Alex blushed.

 

“Alex Danvers,” Kara repeated, rolling around the unfamiliar letters in her mouth. It sounded weird when she said it, but Alex also found it just a bit charming. “Alex Danvers.” She had trouble pronouncing the X, so that it sounded more like an S. “Alex.”

 

Smiling, Alex rubbed the back of her neck. 

 

How was she going to take this girl home? How the hell was she going to take the spaceship home? It looked like it weighed a ton, and while Alex liked to work out, she somehow doubted that she’d be able to lug this solid metal contraption all the way across the beach.

 

Not to mention the heat.

 

Alex turned to the ship.

 

“Can you tell me what she’s doing here?” she asked, stuffing her hands back into her pockets. “And how I’m supposed to move you? I can’t just leave you here, I have to take you home.” Alex had the feeling that this ship could cause a lot of damage if it fell into the wrong hands.

 

Not that her own hands would be able to do  _ anything  _ with this.

 

But maybe her parents would know what to do.

 

Not responding to Alex, the ship instead spoke to Kara in what Alex presumed to be her native tongue. Completely dumbfounded, Alex watched as Kara grabbed the spaceship with one hand and hefted it onto her right shoulder.

 

Resistant to heat and super strong.

 

Alex gulped.

 

“Wow,” she murmured, swallowing harshly at the raw power this girl was displaying. 

 

“Kara Zor-El has been sent here so that she may be safe,” the ship said calmly, while Alex was already planning an escape route in case this meeting went sour. 

 

The ship’s words sounded an awful lot like Kara was in danger.

 

“Can you tell her to follow me?” Alex felt more and more like she was in over her head, but there was something inside of her that told her she could trust this alien girl. Maybe it was the way she smiled - or how frightened she’d looked when Alex had moved forward too quickly.

 

Nothing about her indicated that she was a threat.

 

Once more, the ship spoke to Kara, and she nodded at Alex, who turned around to make her way back home. 

 

Her mom would kill her.

 

Picking up a stray cat was one thing; picking up a stray alien was quite another.

 

Not to mention that Kara looked perfectly human. Had it not been for the superhuman strength and fire resistance, Alex might have thought the entire thing to be a hoax. 

 

Slowly strolling alongside Kara, Alex stole glances at her out of the corner of her eyes.

 

“Alex,” Kara tried again, still not quite managing to pronounce the final letter properly. With her free hand, Kara pointed at the water and made a perplexed look, as though she was already trying to learn English.

 

“Ocean,” Alex replied, mimicking Kara’s gesturing.

 

“Ocean,” Kara repeated, stumbling just a little on the way Alex pronounced the C. 

 

Next, Kara said the word in her own language, then looked expectantly at Alex.

 

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Alex tried to wrap her tongue around the foreign word. It was clumsy and it sounded strange, but it made Kara smile brightly. Alex repeated the word to herself. 

 

On their way back, Alex and Kara exchanged words for all the things they saw. Well, for most of them anyway. Kara seemed to have no concept of cars, and she flinched when a couple of seagulls swooped down to pick at the remnants of food on the beach. 

 

It was strange, but also weirdly companionable. 

 

And the more they  _ talked _ , as it were, the easier it became to pronounce the new consonants and vowels that Alex had never even imagined before. It was nice, and it was more challenging than anything Alex had learned at school in a while.

 

They also came across other people, who gawked and stared at Kara’s weird clothing and the metal ship on her back. But since none of them had actually seen the ship  _ land _ , they probably chalked it up to some sort of school performance for the theater club.

 

At least Alex hoped so.

 

She breathed a sigh of relief when her house finally came into view, and she waved Kara along as she made her way up the steps and into their backyard. The spaceship would have to stay in the shed for a while.

 

“Is it okay if you stay in here?” Alex asked the ship, wondering just how sentient the thing really was. “I kind of need to prepare my parents for the fact that Kara isn’t from around here.” Or from this galaxy, if the ship’s earlier questions about Earth’s exact location were anything to go by.

 

Again the ship spoke to Kara, who walked into the shed and reached inside her spaceship. After a small yank, she retrieved a clear and beautiful blue crystal that shone in the evening sunset. It was rectangular in shape and Alex had the strangest feeling that the ship had never been sentient at all.

 

Once Kara had left the shed, Alex closed the door behind them and locked it. 

 

Then she stretched her hand out to Kara, who looked at it for several seconds.

 

Finally, after seemed like an eternity, Kara slipped her own hand into Alex’s and intertwined their fingers. Kara’s skin was warm to the touch - much warmer than Alex - and she inched closer to Alex’s back as they started walking towards the back door.

 

Taking a deep breath, Alex braced herself for upcoming onslaught of disapproval.

 

_ Bringing an unknown alien to our doorstep, Alexandra, what were you thinking _ ?

 

She could practically hear it already.

 

Pushing open the door, Alex gently led Kara inside.

 

“Alexandra, is that you?” Alex’s mom called out from somewhere in the house, making Alex cringe inwardly. The fact that her mother was using her full name was  _ not  _ a good sign. It probably meant that she was still mad about the fact that Alex had stormed out in the middle of their argument.

 

“Yeah, it’s me, mom,” Alex called back.

 

Kara looked all kinds of fascinated as she stared around the living room. Her eyes took in the decor greedily and if her white clothing was anything to go by, Alex had a feeling that the explosion of color in their home was probably a bit of a shock for her.

 

A few seconds later, Eliza walked into the living room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. 

 

“Alexandra, we weren’t quite finished with our conversation earlier,” she said, looking up from her hands to glare at Alex, only for her eyes to fixate on Kara, who was looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. “Oh, you… brought a guest.”

 

Tensing imperceptibly, Alex shuffled closer to Kara.

 

“Mom, I have something I need to tell you,” Alex said quietly, trying to think of the best way to say that she’d stumbled upon an alien spacecraft. Her mother likely wouldn’t believe her until she’d seen Kara’s amazing powers or the ship itself. 

 

“I knew this day would come,” Eliza said, dropping the dishtowel onto the coffee table and taking a few steps towards Alex. She seemed softer now, the anger gone from her expression entirely. “I figured this might be why you’ve been acting out these last few months.” She reached out to touch Alex’s free hand. “You should know that your father and I support you one-hundred percent.”

 

Alex blinked, then she narrowed her eyes at her.

 

“What are you talking about?” she asked, wondering what her mom was on. 

 

Meanwhile, Kara’s eyes moved from Alex to her mother and back again, clearly wishing she could understand their conversation. 

 

“It’s completely fine that you’re gay, honey,” Eliza said, making Alex’s heart go into overdrive. 

 

Her mother thought she was… 

 

Oh god.

 

“No, mom, I’m not--” Alex started, trying to ignore the uncomfortable pinching in her stomach that told her she couldn’t deny what she’d been discovering about herself recently. “Anyway, that’s not the point.” She squeezed Kara’s fingers. “This is Kara. I found her on the beach.”

 

Eliza furrowed her brows.

 

“What do you mean you  _ found  _ her?” she asked, pulling back her hands and crossing her arms over her chest. The kindness and love on her face instantly evaporated; only to be replaced by her tried and true disapproving look.

 

“This is going to sound weird, okay, but I locked the evidence in our shed, alright?” Alex said, trying to keep her mom calm. Quickly, she explained the situation to her mother, whose eyes widened with every one of her words.

 

When Alex was met with stony silence, she had the feeling her mom didn’t quite believe her.

 

“Did you take anything?” Eliza asked quietly, her voice half-threatening and half-concerned. “Are you  _ on  _ something, Alexandra?” Her hands surged forward to pull Alex’s eyelids apart and check for dilated pupils.

 

“I’m not high, mom!” Alex defended herself, moving out of her mother’s reach, making Kara stumble behind her. “Kara’s spaceship is in our shed. Go and look at it if you don't believe me. It swear it landed right in front of me.”

 

Eliza shook her head in disappointment.

 

“I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish with this lie, Alexandra, but maybe it’s time for your friend Kara to go,” she said, frowning blackly. She turned to Kara. “It was very nice to meet you, but we have some family matters we need to discuss.”

 

Staring blankly, Kara shuffled behind Alex, clearly intimated by Eliza’s sharp tone of voice.

 

“Stop scaring her, mom, she can’t understand you.” Alex squeezed Kara’s fingers in reassurance. Turning towards her, Alex reached out with her hand and indicated towards the crystal.

 

Kara only hesitated for a moment before handing it over.

 

“Can you still talk?” Alex asked the crystal, letting go of Kara’s fingers to hold it in between both of her hands. Her mother looked on in worried confusion as Alex hoped and prayed that the crystal would say something. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging here.”

 

When nothing happened, Eliza started getting angry again.

 

“Alexandra, enough is enough,” she said, placing her hands at her hips. “This charade has gone on long enough. I’m testing you for drugs and alcohol as soon as your friend leaves.” She shook her head one more time.

 

Alex was fuming.

 

“I’m not lying and I’m not on anything!”

 

Behind her, Kara seemed to be picking up on what the problem was. Tentatively, she reached around Alex to press her fingers against the crystal in a certain pattern. Next, she spoke, and Eliza’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she heard the foreign words.

 

It didn’t take more than a second for the crystal to start glowing, before a hologram appeared on top of it. It seemed to float in the air, and Alex’s mouth dropped open as the head of the woman in front of her spoke with the same voice as the spaceship had.

 

“My name is Alura In-Ze. I have sent you my only daughter in the hopes that you may keep her safe. Our war has just begun.” Alura turned her head around to look at Alex, before turning back to Eliza. “Your daughter was kind enough to accept my Kara into your home. Please do not send her away.”

 

Eliza stared at the hologram with a mixture of shock, fascination and scientific interest.

 

“Where did you come from?” she asked, taking a step forward. “And how do you speak our language?” Her anger about Alex’s supposed lie seemed to have evaporated as fast as her disbelief, and Alex felt almost betrayed at how quickly her mother had assumed that she’d been bullshitting.

 

“I have a vast database of knowledge at my disposal,” Alura said. 

 

Reaching out, Eliza took the crystal from Alex’s hands. 

 

“Go upstairs while Alura and I talk about how we can protect Kara,” she said, giving Alex a firm look that brooked no room for discussion. “Maybe you can try to teach Kara some basic phrases in English.”

 

Before Alex could say a word, her mother stalked away - no doubt to talk to her husband in the study. The abruptness with which the task to protect Kara had been taken away from Alex almost made her head spin. And how quickly her mother had decided that everything Alex had told her was true.

 

On the one hand, Alex was glad, but on the other… it had been nice to have a purpose.

 

Alex had been struggling with that lately.

 

Turning around, Alex held out her hand for Kara, who took it and let herself be led up the stairs. She looked concerned, and Alex could only imagine why. The crystal was likely the only thing Kara had left of her home - and her mother.

 

“My room,” Alex said, pointing at the space around her once she’d closed the door behind herself. It was a bit messy and Alex hastily picked up some of her clothes to throw them into the hamper in the corner. 

 

This was going to be difficult.

 

Without the crystal to help the translation process, Alex had absolutely no idea how to teach Kara anything aside from simple words. She wasn’t an English professor; she had no idea how to explain basic English syntax to someone who had no concept of the other language whatsoever. 

 

Kara was still standing in the middle of her room by the time Alex turned back towards her.

 

Biting her bottom lip, Alex took her hand again and led her over to her bed. 

 

“You can sit down,” she said, even though she knew Kara couldn’t understand her. “I’m sorry my mom took the crystal. Now we can’t even talk.” Sitting down on the bed herself, Alex was glad when Kara mimicked her movement. 

 

She bounced up and down a bit on the mattress, making Alex smile.

 

Kara said something in her language and Alex stared in fascination as the words wound together and around one another. Now that she had the time to really listen, the language sounded surprisingly beautiful.

 

For a few minutes, Alex listened as Kara spoke. When she stopped, Alex got to her feet and pulled her spiral notebook and a ballpoint pen out of her school bag. Maybe they couldn’t talk, but they could at least show each other some of their letters.

 

Kara smiled when she saw the paper and that Alex was writing on it.

 

“Alex Danvers,” Alex said, pointing at the letters she’d just written down. 

 

Handing over the ballpoint pen, Alex watched as Kara started writing letters as well. 

 

“Kara Zor-El,” she said, showing Alex the assortment of symbols. They were absolutely fascinating and Alex nodded enthusiastically, trying to think of what she could write down next. Before she could think of something, Kara started writing again. She said the word in her own language first. Then in Alex’s.  _ Ocean _ .

 

Grinning, Alex got to work.

 

-

 

By the time her mom came upstairs to return the crystal, Alex’s spiral notebook was full of symbols and words. At some point, Kara had started trying to copy the Latin alphabet, and Alex had tried the same with her language.

 

Kara had also drawn her a picture of her planet.

 

_ Krypton _ .

 

Her drawing looked considerably better than Alex’s. 

 

“Can Kara stay in your room tonight, Alex?” Eliza asked, handing Kara the crystal with a bright smile. “I talked to Alura and she thinks it would be best if we try to assimilate Kara into our society as best as we can, so no one will be able to find her, even if they do send someone.”

 

The thought of anyone hurting Alex’s new friend was absolutely terrifying, and she made a grab for Kara’s hand without thinking about it. She would make damn sure that Kara would be as ready for school and human life as she possibly could be.

 

“Yeah, sure,” Alex replied, rubbing the back of Kara’s hand with her thumb. “Can you call the school and tell them I’m out sick while we figure all of this out? I don’t want to leave Kara alone while all of this is happening.”

 

Eliza seemed to be warring with herself. On the one hand, it was clear that she understood how much help Kara would need in this strange new world; on the other hand, she hated pulling Alex out of school for any reason. 

 

“Fine,” she finally gave in, giving off a small sigh. “Alura said she can help you teach Kara.” Nodding, Alex accepted a kiss on her forehead from her mother. “I’m proud of you for deciding to help her.”

 

Blushing at her mother’s praise, Alex gave her a small smile (even though she was still all kinds of miffed at the fact that her mom had accused her of taking drugs). 

 

When her mom had left (softly closing the door behind herself), Alex got up to get herself and Kara some clothes to sleep in. It was getting pretty late and Alex was beyond tired. The day’s events had drained her, and her brain was swirling with all kinds of Kryptonian symbols and words.

 

“Alex?” Kara asked, clearly wondering what Alex was doing.

 

“Clothing,” Alex replied, pointing at her closet and the clothes that lay beneath. They’d already talked about the word and Kara nodded in understand. “For sleep.” Alex placed her hands behind her head and mimicked what she’d just said.

 

Opening her eyes, she saw understanding all over Kara’s face, before she repeated the words. The look of concentration on her face was adorable, and Alex smiled as she turned back to her closet.

  
She had a feeling this was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have absolutely no idea how i got this AU from best friends, but... here it is. A world where Krypton never exploded and Clark never came to Earth and Kara was sent to earth for entirely different reasons. Fun! See you tomorrow for part 2 ♥
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	18. different time, different place [Part 2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Best friends" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara begins to learn more about this strange new place. And Alex is very cute."
> 
>  **NOTE:** Kara and Alex are both 17 in this story. I forgot to include that in chapter 1!

The first thing Kara noticed when she woke up was the sound of a steady heartbeat pounding away next to her, filling the room with a pleasant background noise that helped her filter out the rest. She could hear the… the  _ cars _ driving along the road outside, and those wretched flying things were making a racket as well.  _ Birds _ . A truly horrid invention.

 

Kara shuddered to think what would have happened on Krypton if their flying ships would have had to contend with those things. 

 

Sighing, she turned onto her side and looked at the sleeping girl next to her. 

 

_ Alex _ .

 

She’d been more than kind to Kara, even though they couldn't properly communicate. When Kara had lifted up her pod, she’d seen the brief glimmer of worry and fear in Alex’s eyes, and Kara wondered what strength it must have taken to trust that Kara wouldn't hurt her. 

 

After all, Alex was no more than seventeen years old, just like Kara.

 

Trying to focus her ears, Kara concentrated all of her energy on listening to Alex’s steady  breathing. There was no trace of the fear now. Alex’s face was relaxed and her unruly hair fell around her kind features. 

 

Kara knew that even if Alex didn't understand her quite yet, that she would still be Kara’s friend. The thought was beyond reassuring and Kara smiled slightly to herself as she thought back to the night before. 

 

Kryptonese was a complex language, but Alex had acquitted herself quite admirably. It had sounded adorable when she’d tried to pronounce their words and Kara loved the little human accent she brought to the language.

 

At the same time, Kara was pretty sure she had sounded horrible.

 

Even though she could already feel Earth’s yellow sun strengthening her mental capacities, she had a feeling it would take a while for her to learn the finer nuances of the human language.  _ English,  _ her mother had said. There were multiple languages on Earth. She had to remember that.

 

As she lay there, she watched Alex’s nose twitch in her sleep.

 

She really was cute.

 

Turning onto her back, Kara let out a slow breath. She wondered what her mother and father were doing at this moment. They had been working hard against Zod and his army. Had her Aunt Astra survived? She’d been about to leave their home to fight for the southern border.

 

Now it was three years later and Kara didn’t know if any of her friends and family were alive or dead. Leaning over the side of the bed, she pulled her mother’s crystal out from under her robes.

 

“Open, please,” she said quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping Alex next to her. A second later, her mother’s face appeared above the crystal, looking at her with so much love that Kara almost cried. 

 

“Hello, Kara,” her mother said.

 

“Hello,” Kara replied, pulling up her legs and placing her chin on her knees. It was an absolutely inappropriate way for a true Kryptonian to sit, but Kara couldn't care about that right now. “Can you tell me if Aunt Astra is alive?” The crystal would have no problem connecting to their mainframe on Krypton, even now that Kara was galaxies away.

 

“I’m sorry,” her mother said sadly. “Contact with our family's mainframe has been strictly forbidden. If Zod’s forces have taken over our Fortress, he could trace back the connection to find you.” Kara sighed sadly. “We will come to take you home, my beloved daughter. Once this war is over and it is safe for you to return, you will be with us once again.”

 

_ Unless you're already dead _ , Kara thought.

 

“Until then, you will have to rely on the humans who have found you.” Alura’s eyes moved to Alex’s sleeping form. “I spoke to Alex Danvers’ mother. She is willing to take you in. It may be best if you do not tell them what you can do quite yet. Eliza and her husband are scientists.”

 

Visions of Alex’s mother trying to study Kara in a lab filled Kara’s mind, and even though she knew they wouldn't be able to harm her, she didn't want to have to hurt them, either. Before she’d been sent away, she’d done a bit of research about the human race. They were just as flawed as Kryptonians.

 

“Yes, mother,” Kara said, nodding in understanding. “What about Alex? She already knows.”

 

“She did not tell her mother that you possess powers under Earth’s yellow sun,” Alura said, making Kara look down at her new friend. 

 

“I feel like I can trust her,” Kara whispered, even though Alex wouldn't have been able to understand her even if she’d been awake.

 

“I agree.” Alura’s eyes turned soft as she looked at Kara’s face. “I will tell her what is at stake. I don't think think she will let us down.” Clearly, the consciousness of her mother had seen the same thing that Kara had. A strong spirit inside a frail body. 

 

Kara smiled, then shut off the crystal.

 

-

 

Kara looked around Alex’s bedroom for thirty more minutes until Alex finally awoke. Her hair stood up at odd ends and she yawned when she sat up. Smiling, Kara looked away from the picture she had been admiring. It showed Alex as a small child with what Kara assumed to be her father. 

 

This ancient technology was called a  _ photograph _ . 

 

After she’d stretched her arms over her head, Alex’s eyes found Kara, and she smiled. The  _ t-shirt _ on her body was rumpled and Alex smoothed it down as she got out of bed. Her bare feet patted over the floor as Alex walked over to Kara.

 

Putting down the  _ photograph _ , Kara bowed in greeting, and Alex hastily mimicked the gesture. Kara knew that humans likely did not greet each other this way, but she didn't know what was customary on this planet.

 

Alex seemed to sense this as well, because a moment later she pointed at Kara before she bowed once more. Then, she pointed at herself and said two words.

 

“ _ Good morning _ .”

 

Kara screwed up her face.

 

“Good morning,” she repeated, nodding to realize she’d understood. Bowing again, she repeated the phrase and Alex grinned brightly. Her smile was beautiful and Kara forced down the feelings of attraction. 

 

Next, Alex curled her hand into a fist, before stretching her thumb up into the air. Furrowing her brows, Kara tried to figure out this gesture, before mimicking it blindly. Human culture was strange, but Kara didn't question it. 

 

“ _ Thumbs up _ ,” Alex said, pointing at the gesture. Kara nodded, still confused as to the meaning. But Alex seemed satisfied for the moment and turned towards her  _ closet _ , while Kara continued to wave her hand around with the thumb extended. 

 

_ Humans _ .

 

She shook her head.

 

“Kara,” Alex said, pulling Kara’s focus to her. “ _ Jeans, t-shirt, socks, underwear _ .” She handed Kara the items in question and Kara accepted them with a small smile. These human garments were strange, but Kara knew she couldn't keep wearing her robes. “ _ Bathroom _ .”

 

Nodding seriously, Kara turned around and walked out of Alex’s sleeping quarters. They’d gone over the lavatories the night before and Kara had already been made acquainted with the  _ toilet _ , the  _ sink _ and the  _ shower _ . 

 

Alex followed after her just in case, and leaned against the wall in the hallway while Kara went inside to change clothing. Sliding off her  _ t-shirt _ and  _ pajama pants _ , Kara looked at herself in the mirror. She looked the same as she had on Krypton, except for the garments. Running her hand through her hair, Kara decided that she didn't mind the new look.

 

Everything was more complicated, but the clothes were soft and they smelled of Alex. In this strange new world, Kara was glad to have something to hold on to. She’d only met Alex the day before, but at least she was somewhat familiar now.

 

Kara didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she’d been discovered by anybody else.

 

Putting on the new clothing, Kara pulled the hem of the  _ t-shirt _ against her nose. Now that she was on this planet, Kara would have to make a home in this house and with these people. And while she was mostly sure that she could find comfort with Alex, Kara wasn't too sure about Alex's mother. When they’d spoken the day before, Alex had seemed so angry at her mother. Angry, infuriated, hurt. Kara might not have been able to understand their words, but she wasn't blind or deaf. 

 

After Kara had relieved herself and washed her hands, she left the  _ bathroom  _ and smiled at Alex, who returned the smile in full. 

 

-

 

Human food was  _ good _ .

 

Kara was still thinking about the rich taste of the  _ pancakes  _ as she walked back into Alex’s bedroom. Alex’s mother and father - Eliza and Jeremiah - hadn’t been around while Alex had cooked herself and Kara breakfast. She’d said a word to explain it -  _ work _ \- but Kara had no idea what that meant and Alex hadn’t been able to properly show her through hand gestures this time.

 

Ultimately, Kara had given her the  _ thumbs up _ and Alex had looked at her fondly.

 

So maybe that gesture had some sort of positive meaning attached to it. 

 

Once they were both back in Alex’s bedroom, Kara picked up her mother’s crystal and opened it, so she and Alex could have a way to communicate without resorting to one-word explanations. It was cute - up to a point.

 

Listening while Alex told Alura something, Kara tried to find a way to make out word schemes or common grammatical repetitions, but she came up with nothing. She supposed that was to be expected, but it still frustrated her that she couldn’t simply  _ know _ how to speak English. 

 

As soon as Alex made a pause, Alura turned to Kara.

 

“Alex tells me that her mother and father have gone to work at their lab, and that she intends to leave you alone at the house for a time so she can go into town and buy supplies,” she said, while Kara grew slightly worried at the idea of being alone in this strange world. 

 

“Can’t I come with her?” Kara asked, waiting for her mother to ask the question.

 

Alex grimaced and shrugged as she talked and Kara wondered if the girl was tiring of her already. 

 

“She is worried that you might draw attention to yourself or get frightened by the many new things you might see on your way,” Alura explained, a look of understanding on her face. “She says that she would love to take you along if she could.”

 

The words made warmth spread through Kara’s veins, and she smiled brightly at Alex, who blushed and looked strangely at Alura. She was probably wondering what could have made Kara so happy.

 

“Just one more question, mother,” Kara said, curling her hand into a fist and raising her thumb. “Do you know what this gesture means?” Now Alex looked even more confused, and she furrowed her brows together as she looked from Kara to Alura and back again.

 

Alura did not know the meaning of the ever-elusive  _ thumbs up _ .

 

-

 

Lying on her stomach on Alex’s bed, Kara looked down at the  _ Latin alphabet _ in front of her. She had a  _ ballpoint pen _ in one hand and was copying the letters one by one onto a new sheet of  _ paper _ . These means of transcribing information was absolutely archaic, but Kara enjoyed the feeling of something solid to hold onto as she worked out how to write and say the letter X.

 

There was an X in Alex, after all.

 

Before she’d left the room, Alex had put on some music for her. She’d called the contraption an  _ iPod dock _ , but Kara wasn’t interested in figuring out how the whole thing worked. In truth, she was much more intrigued by the music itself.

 

It was different from Kryptonian music, as she had expected, and she enjoyed the way the human voices wrapped around the foreign words. She’d even tried humming along to some of them, but in the end, she’d conceded that maybe she should get used to the different beats and rhythms first.

 

“Alex,” she murmured, trying to get the pronunciation just right.

 

“Almost,” her mother’s crystal corrected her. “The X is just a bit sharper. Try again. Alex.”

 

“Alex,” Kara repeated, writing the name down from memory.

 

“Very good,” Alura praised her, smiling gently as she observed her daughter. “Now try repeating what we spoke about earlier.” Her mother had been trying to teach her basic human phrases so Kara could at least pretend that she wasn’t completely alien to this world.

 

“ _ Hello _ ,” Kara said, stumbling just a bit on the two Ls in the word, “ _ my name is Kara _ .”

 

“Excellent,” Alura said, nodding proudly at Kara’s progress.

 

Kara had just been about to respond, when she heard the unmistakable sound of Alex’s heartbeat entering the house. A smile spread over Kara’s lips and she sat up on the bed in happy excitement. She wanted to tell Alex all that she had learned from her mother. And then she wanted to teach Alex some more Kryptonian.

 

It didn’t take long until Alex stumbled into her bedroom. She’d taken off her shoes downstairs and was holding a  _ paper shopping bag _ in her left hand. Smiling, she waved to Kara, who gave her a  _ thumbs up _ in return. 

 

“ _ Hello, my name is Kara _ ,” Kara said, beaming with pride as Alex stopped to stare at her. “ _ You are my friend _ .” She’d asked her mother to teach her the phrase, even though Alura hadn’t quite been able to understand why this sentence seemed so essential to Kara. 

 

Alex’s eyes grew soft.

 

“ _ You are my friend, too _ ,” Alex replied, even though Kara didn’t know why Alex had included the number two at the end of her sentence. She supposed it probably meant something along the lines of ‘as well’.

 

With a happy grin on her face, Alex pulled a number of  _ books _ out of her  _ bag _ and showed them to Kara. They were full of English words that Kara didn’t know how to read, but they showed small children who were also holding  _ books _ .

 

Alex spoke to Alura, who explained what they were. 

 

“These scripts are for young children who wish to learn how to write and speak English as a foreign language.” Alura seemed pleased. “They should help you learn much faster. I will help you translate them.”

 

Looking down at the scripts, Kara wiped at her eyes. 

 

Alex didn’t even know her. She’d found a strange alien girl on the beach who had two-hundred times her strength, and she’d taken her home. Kara sniffled. And now, Alex had bought her  _ books  _ to fit in.

 

“Thank you,” Kara said in Kryptonese, putting aside the scripts and getting to her feet. Her next words were in English. “ _ Thank you. You are my friend. Thank you, Alex _ .” Still sniffling, she wrapped her arms around Alex and held on tightly.

  
Even though she seemed surprised, Alex hugged her back just as fiercely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will need a part 3. But aren't our children just the cutest? I just want to give them hugs.
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing!
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	19. different time, different place [Part 3]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Best friends" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara learns how to speak English."

“May I have milk, please?” Kara asked, making Alex look up from the stove, where she was cooking pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs for them both. The Kryptonian accent in Kara’s words was absolutely adorable and Alex smiled gently as she handed over the milk that stood next to her on the counter.

 

“May I have  _ the  _ milk, please,” Alex correctly her kindly, grinning when Kara nodded seriously.

 

“ _ The _ milk,” she repeated, using a knife to cut up the strawberries that Alex had handed to her previously. “Thank you, Alex.” Her pronunciation still wasn’t perfect, but Alex was really starting to enjoy the way Kara’s lips wrapped around the final letter in her name and how soft they made it sound.

 

“You’re welcome,” Alex replied, turning back to the stove so the food wouldn’t get burned. Over the last week, Kara’s knowledge of the English language had grown at a rate that Alex hadn’t anticipated. The hologram had explained to her that the sun here was strengthening Kara’s neural pathways and had turned her into somewhat of a genius. 

 

Alex thought it was a bit unfair that the only thing Kara needed to do to be perfect was to go out into the sunlight, while Alex struggled so hard to please her parents. When Alex had been younger, her parents had often praised her and called her a star, but as she’d gotten older, the expectations from her parents had grown as well.

 

It wasn’t Kara’s fault, of course, that the sun was helping her out like that. In fact, Alex was kind of glad for it. After all, it made conversing with Kara a whole lot easier when she could understand most of what Alex was saying.

 

“Do you want to come with me today? My parents told me to buy you a bed,” Alex asked, putting another pancake on an already full plate. “We need to empty the study first, but with your powers I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

 

Alex still hadn’t told her mother that Kara could lift the spaceship. When her mom had asked how the thing had gotten into the shed, Alex had lied and said that it had flown there itself. Alura’s hologram had told her that it would be best if they kept Kara’s gifts a secret for now, and Alex agreed. Even though she trusted her parents, there was no telling what tests they would want to run on Kara.

 

And while Kara wasn’t fully settled in, Alex wouldn’t subject her to anything like that - not if she could prevent it.

 

“Yes, please,” Kara said, accepting the plate of pancakes that Alex handed to her. “Thank you.”

 

Kara had spent the last week sleeping in Alex’s bed, and Alex had been more than fine with that. Strangely, Kara barely moved during the night, so Alex hadn’t been kicked or punched or anything. And Kara barely made any sounds as well. 

 

But Eliza had decided that Alex was too old to stage a sleepover every night, and since their guest room had long since been filled to the brim with filing cabinets and loose stacks of paper and books, Alex had been saddled with the task of cleaning out the old study that her parents never used anymore.

 

Considering the fact that Eliza also thought that Alex was gay, Alex had the sneaking suspicion that her mom didn’t want her and Kara getting any ideas. Not that Alex  _ had  _ gotten any ideas. What Kara needed was a friend (a best friend, maybe), not someone who lusted after her.

 

And it didn’t matter that Kara was absolutely gorgeous. And kind. And smart.

 

Or that her laugh made Alex’s chest tingle with happiness.

 

No, none of that mattered, because Alex needed to make sure that Kara felt safe and at home on Earth, and that didn’t involve Alex developing some kind of romantic attraction for her. Not to mention the fact that Alex wasn’t even totally sure if she  _ was  _ gay.

 

But that was an entirely different thought experiment for another day that Alex didn’t have time for right now. Even if Jennifer Thompson’s lips had been so incredibly soft when Alex had kissed her under the bleachers that one time.

 

“If anything scares you, tell me about it, okay? I’ll explain it to you,” Alex told Kara, scooping the scrambled eggs and the bacon onto a plate and handing that over to Kara as well. “There’s nothing on this planet that will hurt you as long as I’m around.”

 

Once Alex had settled down at the kitchen table, Kara reached over with her hand to gently touch Alex’s forearm. She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t have to. Alex knew exactly what she meant.

 

-

 

“This one is pretty nice,” Alex said, bouncing up and down on the mattress below her butt. “Mom and dad said that money is no object, so we don’t have to restrict ourselves in any way. We can buy the best mattress in the store.”

 

Kara was sitting next to her, a look of concentration on her face.

 

“Not soft enough,” Kara said, looking like she was trying to find the right words. “Your bed is softer.”

 

Blushing, Alex shrugged with one of her shoulders.

 

“You can have my mattress, if you want it,” she said, leaning back and stretching out. “But this one is nicer than mine, I think. Try it.” She patted the white fabric beneath her, indicating that Kara should lay down next to her. “It’s good, I promise.”

 

Looking around for a moment, Kara seemed unsure.

 

Alex had long since realized that Kryptonians were not as laid back as humans were. 

 

Well…  _ some  _ humans, anyway. 

 

“It’s okay,” Alex said, gently touching Kara’s upper arm. 

 

With a determined nod, Kara leaned back as well, her whole body wrought with tension as her eyes flew around the store. When she realized that no one was watching, her body visibly relaxed and Alex grinned to herself.

 

“I’d say this mattress is going on the list.” Shuffling her hand closer, Alex curled her fingers around Kara’s and held on tightly. “But I’m serious. If you want my mattress, you can have it. Mom and dad won’t care if you get a new one or an old one, as long as they can pretend that they’ve made a good decision by splitting us up and giving you your own room.”

 

Frowning softly, Kara turned her head towards Alex.

 

“Are your parents angry? That I live with you? In your room?” she asked quietly, holding on tightly to Alex’s hand. She seemed worried, and Alex realized that she hadn’t explained to Kara why her parents suddenly found it necessary to split them up. Maybe Kryptonians didn’t work that way - Alex had never thought to ask.

 

“They’re trying to be nice,” Alex explained, turning onto her side. They should probably move onto the next mattress soon, before a  _ helpful  _ store employee came over to talk to them. “They want you to have your own space where you can be alone when you need time to yourself.”

 

Kara sighed.

 

“I do not wish to be alone,” she whispered, now also turning onto her side. “I worry too much.”

 

Grimacing, Alex curled her arm around Kara’s back and hugged her close. This was  _ so  _ not the place to have this conversation. Alex couldn’t even imagine what it was like to be completely alone in a foreign world while your family and friends were galaxies away. Fighting a war. Possibly  _ losing  _ a war.

 

“You can stay with me even after we’ve bought you some furniture. Mom and dad won’t notice anyway. They’re too busy with their research.” Sitting up, Alex smiled down at Kara. “You can stay for as long as you need to.”

 

Kara’s gratitude was almost palpable, and Alex pushed herself to her feet to avoid the glowing look. She didn’t want to think about how that look made her feel. 

 

-

 

After a full week of no school, Alex was forced to go back. 

 

She hated the thought of leaving Kara alone in the house all by herself, but there was nothing she could do. For maybe once in her life, her mother was right when she told Alex that she needed to think about her own education, too. Even though Alex didn’t admit that to her. 

 

The entire time she was in class, she thought about Kara and whether or not she was alright.

 

It was stupid, because Kara could protect herself just fine, and yet Alex couldn’t stop worrying about her. She was gratified, at least, that Kara rushed down the stairs to greet her at the door when she came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 4 will probably be the final part, maybe. We'll seeee
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for checking this for me :)
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	20. different time, different place [Part 4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Best friends" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara is forced to go to high school."

When Eliza presented her with a human  _ identification card _ , Kara didn’t ask where she’d gotten it. The woman had simply assured her that everything was in order and that Kara didn’t have to worry about anybody finding out that she wasn’t from around here. Not with this.

 

She’d also told Kara about the fake background story that Jeremiah had drafted up for her.

 

Her first name was still Kara, but she wasn’t a Zor-El anymore, because that name would have drawn too much attention to itself. Instead, her last name was now  _ Kent _ , and her human parents had ostensibly died in a car accident on their way to a  _ high school football game _ . During her last three weeks on Earth, Kara had heard about this  _ football game  _ only briefly, and she still didn’t understand the appeal of such gross physical exertion.

 

(Though Alex had assured her that she did not grasp the finer nuances of the game either.)

 

Also included in the story was the lie that Kara had originally been born in  _ Poughkeepsie _ , a word that sounded so strange and ridiculous to Kara’s ears that she almost started laughing at Eliza. Human naming conventions occasionally left something to be desired.

 

Jeremiah had also come up with a reason for why Kara was here. Apparently the  _ Kents  _ \- Kara’s new deceased parents - had been close friends of Eliza and Jeremiah’s once upon a time, and when they had died, they’d entrusted their only daughter with her care in lieu of there being any other relatives still alive.

 

It was a good story overall, but the thought of pretending that her parents had died (even her fake ones) was almost too much for Kara to bare. In some part of her mind, she’d assumed that her parents would follow her almost immediately through a reinstated portal, or via ship, or with the help of  _ something else _ . Anything.

 

She’d even hoped that Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara would send their son Kal-El once he was born. So that she wouldn’t have to be all by herself. So that someone else would be there who  _ understood _ . 

 

Her mother’s hologram helped (Alura had spent precious hours working on it to make it as lifelike as she could - Kara remembered every second of that time), but she couldn’t  _ touch  _ a hologram. If it hadn’t been for Alex keeping her occupied, Kara had no idea what would have happened to her.

 

-

 

Four weeks into her stay, Eliza came to talk to Kara.

 

Alex was on her  _ computer _ , a truly archaic ancestor of Krypton’s crystal technology. They’d just been looking at cute pictures of adorable  _ kittens  _ (one of Earth’s best inventions), when Eliza knocked on the door. Frustratingly, Alex’s hand was back in her own lap before Kara could hold onto it.

  
For some reason, Alex was much more reserved with her touches when her parents were around, and Kara couldn’t figure out why for the life of her. It wasn’t like they were doing something wrong with their behavior. On Krypton, family and friends readily exchanged touches with the people they cared for. In fact, considering how close Alex and Kara had grown over the last human month, it would have been seen as an insult if Alex didn’t hold her hand when they were laughing together.

 

Humans were very strange sometimes.

“Come in,” Alex called out, leaning back in her desk chair and waiting for Eliza to open the door. With the x-ray vision that she had discovered two weeks ago, Kara watched as Eliza pushed down the door handle. 

 

Kara missed self-propelled doors.

 

Smiling, Eliza walked into Alex’s bedroom and looked fondly down at Kara, who straightened up instantly under the woman’s gaze. It was one thing to slouch in front of Alex - it was quite another to do it in front of the head of the house.

 

Eliza’s expression faltered just a little when she took in Alex’s clothes strewn across the bedroom. It was obvious that she didn’t enjoy how messy Alex was, but she didn’t like reprimanding her daughter in front of Kara. And she had no idea that Kara could hear everything that happened inside the house.

 

“Kara, I would like to talk to you for a moment,” Eliza said slowly, as though Kara still needed the few extra moments to process the English language. It was supposed to be a friendly gesture, but it reminded Kara more than anything that she didn’t quite belong. Alex never spoke to her that way. “Can you come into the hallway for a moment?”

 

Wary of the situation, Kara got to her feet. 

 

The yellow sundress she was wearing made a quiet rustling noise as she smoothed it down. Shortly after Kara had moved into the study (officially, anyway), Alex had taken her to the  _ mall  _ to shop for clothing. 

 

“I will be back,” she told Alex, carefully squeezing her shoulder.

 

“Aye aye, T-800,” Alex joked, even though Kara had no idea what she meant. When Alex spotted Kara’s confusion, she smiled ruefully. “I’ll explain it to you when you get back. It’s a movie reference.”

 

Alex had explained the significance of  _ movie references _ previously, so Kara only nodded.

 

“Thank you,” she said to Alex, following Eliza into the hallway. 

 

Once the door was closed, Kara folded her hands in front of her body and looked at Eliza.

 

“Kara, you’ve been here for about a month now,” Eliza started, mimicking Kara’s body language. “Jeremiah and I think that it might be time for you to go to school with Alex. We want to enroll you in the same high school. How do you feel about that?”

 

Nodding slowly, Kara thought about what this step would mean for her. It would mean spending more time with Alex, of course, but Kara would also have to interact with more people outside of the Danvers household.

 

The thought was absolutely terrifying. 

 

“Yes,” Kara replied, clenching her hands almost imperceptibly. “That is a good idea.”

 

Eliza beamed.

  
“I think so, too,” she said, reaching out and squeezing Kara’s shoulder. “I know living here hasn’t been easy for you, which is why I didn’t ask you this sooner…” She trailed off, obviously trying to find the right words. “I would like to run some experiments on you, to see how your body is adjusting to Earth’s atmosphere. I don’t want you to get sick. It’s unlikely, given that you’ve been here for so long, but I want to ensure that there won’t be any long-term consequences.”

 

Spine stiffening automatically, Kara tried to bite down on her initial reaction of running back into the bedroom to ask Alex or her mother what she should do. The Danvers parents still didn’t know that Kara was just fine on Earth - better than fine, thanks to Earth’s yellow sun. And they’d all agreed that it would be better if she kept that knowledge to herself.

 

“I’m fine,” Kara said, trying not to sound panicky and stressed at the prospect. “You’ve spoken to my mother. She told you that I am fine, yes?” 

 

Eliza nodded.

  
“Yes, of course, but I’m sure studying your cellular structure could help humanity in a number of ways.” Eliza smiled kindly. “If you don’t want that, that is absolutely fine. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We’ve already learned plenty from our conversations with your mother.”

 

Swallowing hard, Kara tried to smile as well.

 

“I will talk to my mother about what to do. Thank you for telling me about school.” Taking a step back, Kara bowed to Eliza. Even though the Danvers parents had told her that such formality wasn’t necessary, Kara still fell back on Kryptonian customs to get her through tough situations. 

 

“Of course,” Eliza said, squeezing Kara’s shoulder once more.

 

With another bow, Kara entered Alex’s bedroom, closed the door behind her, and let out a slow breath. She liked Eliza and Jeremiah, she really did, but she didn’t trust them the same way she trusted Alex. Maybe that was the paranoia of what had happened on Krypton. With the war raging on, trust was almost a luxury.

 

“Your mother wishes to study me,” Kara said quietly, staring down at her socked feet. 

 

Alex was on her feet in a second.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” she said vehemently, walking over to Kara and taking her hands. “If you don’t want her to know about your powers, you’re under no obligation to let her run  _ any  _ tests on you.”

 

“I know that,” Kara whispered, finally raising her eyes to catch Alex’s gaze. “She told me it was my choice.” Pausing for a moment, Kara gave Alex a small smile. “I will be going to your school soon. I hope that’s alright with you.”

 

Pulling Kara into a hug, Alex squeezed her tightly.

 

“Of course that’s alright,” she said, holding Kara close. “I can finally tell my friends who I’ve been spending so much time with. They’ve been wondering.” Her hands slid up and down Kara’s back in a soothing rhythm. “I told them that you’ve been sick and that’s why I couldn’t introduce them to you.”

 

Kara felt just a bit apprehensive about meeting Alex’s friends. What if they thought her too strange? What if Kara accidentally revealed her secret and turned Alex’s friends against her? Eliza and Jeremiah had made it very clear to Kara that not every human would be comfortable with the idea of an alien living among them. As far as they knew, no other alien had ever been on Earth before.

 

(While Kara found that hard to believe, she understood why none of the other aliens had revealed themselves under these circumstances.)

 

“I’m sure it will go well,” Kara lied, stepping away from the hug and sitting down in front of the computer again. Alex’s homework was open on the screen, and Kara bit her bottom lip as she read through the contents at lightning speed. 

 

An  _ English essay _ , if Kara had to guess.

 

“This is what you’ll be dealing with soon,” Alex commented, slumping down into her desk chair and waving at the screen. Humming thoughtfully, Alex rubbed her cheek. “Maybe you should have a look at some of the stuff we’ve been learning recently, just so you won’t be totally lost.”

 

Nodding with determination, Kara straightened up.

 

“Punch me,” she said, trying to mimic one of Alex’s phrases and purposefully messing it up.

 

“ _ Hit _ me,” Alex corrected her, bumping their shoulders together.

 

Kara grinned.

 

-

 

“There’s no reason to be worried,” Alex soothed, reaching over and placing her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “My mom made sure that the school put you into all of my classes. It’s going to be fine. I’ll be with you the entire time.”

 

Taking in a deep breath, Kara adjusted the  _ glasses  _ on her nose and nodded at Alex. The glasses had been Alex’s idea, and were supposed to help her blend in better. Kara just wasn’t quite used to them yet. 

 

“I’m fine,” Kara said, even though she could tell that she exuded fear. The school was full of people, and Kara didn’t know any of them. And she would be expected to talk and listen and be like a human and Kara didn’t know if she was ready.

 

Even after five weeks, Kara still had trouble pronouncing certain words.

 

“Come on, let’s go inside.” Opening the car door, Alex left the vehicle and waited for Kara to do the same. It took her a couple of seconds to move, but once she was outside, Kara looked around herself and took in her surroundings. 

 

X-raying the school, Kara checked every nook and cranny for any potential threats. When she didn’t see anything, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Alex. She could do this. She could. She just needed to keep her wits about her.

 

With shaky knees, Kara started walking.

 

At the halfway point, she reached out with her hand and held on tightly to Alex’s fingers, careful not to crush them. Kara barely noticed the increase in Alex’s heart rate, because she was too busy trying to block out everybody else. Her powers were going just a bit haywire. The mall had been just as much of a problem, but Kara hadn’t been expected to spend all morning and afternoon there.

 

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Kara whispered, shuffling even closer to Alex.

 

“I’m here,” Alex replied, squeezing Kara’s hand. “Just focus on me.”

 

Clenching her jaw, Kara followed Alex inside the school. 

 

-

 

Alex’s friends were nice, but Kara was glad when she was back at the Danvers house.

 

The silence that awaited her was a like a balm for her tired senses.

 

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, watching as Kara slumped down on the bed in Alex’s bedroom. “I know your powers were going off like crazy all day, but…” She seemed worried, and Kara gave her a tired look.

 

“I just want to sleep,” she whispered, pulling her socked feet onto the duvet and curling herself into a ball. At least the subjects had been fascinating enough. Human culture was something that Kara was very interested in - but the constant barrage of sensory input had been a challenge. 

 

“Yeah, I know that feeling,” Alex murmured, sitting down on the bed and patting Kara’s feet. “Anything I can do?” The sound of her heartbeat lulled Kara into a state of relaxation, and she reached out with her hand to pull at Alex’s arm.

  
“Hold me, please?” Kara asked, feeling extremely vulnerable.

 

“Sure,” Alex stuttered, climbing onto the bed and behind Kara, before wrapping her arm around Kara’s waist. “I’ll set an alarm so we don’t oversleep.” She fumbled around with the alarm clock on her desk and Kara closed her eyes. 

 

In Alex’s arms, none of the high school stress could touch her.

 

-

 

It took another month for Kara to use her powers for good.

 

She and Alex were down at the beach with some of Alex’s friends - who were now also Kara’s friends, she had to remind herself. By now, Kara didn’t flinch anymore when she saw a bird swoop down from the sky to attack a discarded food item. 

 

“Come on, Kara,” Alex said, twirling the  _ frisbee  _ in her hands. She was dressed in  _ swim trunks _ and a  _ bikini top _ , and Kara was pretty sure the prickling in the back of her eyes whenever she looked at Alex in this outfit had something to do with her still developing heat vision. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling by any stretch of the imagination. “Get off your butt.”

 

Sticking her tongue out at Alex (a truly fabulous gesture that one of the children downtown had shown her), Kara folded her hands over her stomach. The sun was energizing her, but Kara was determined to relax. And, possibly, watch Alex run around the beach.

 

“I’m comfortable,” Kara insisted, hoping Alex would get the hint and go back to being handsome and pretty. “Maybe we can play some more later. After you’ve applied a new layer of sunscreen.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Alex waved her off. “Fine, stay where you are. See if I care.”

 

The teasing grin on Alex’s face made Kara break character and giggle.

 

“Danvers! Stop flirting with your girlfriend and get back over here!” one of Alex’s friends called out, making both Alex and Kara blush and several others laugh at them. When Alex stalked away, she was scowling.

 

Closing her eyes, Kara was about to take a nap, when a strange sound reached her ears.

 

A crash…

 

Turning her attention to the sound, Kara sat up. She couldn’t see anything in the immediate vicinity, so she pushed herself to her feet and quickly slipped into her shorts and Alex’s hoodie. No time to waist with the blouse she’d been wearing.

 

“Kara?” Alex asked, dropping the frisbee to the ground. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’ll be right back,” Kara called out, stuffing her feet into her shoes. “I just need to, um, check something at the house. Don’t worry, everything is fine.” Giving Alex a thumbs up - their sign that Kara needed to do something Krypton-related that no one else could know about - Kara turned away and started running as fast as humanly possible. Once she was hidden behind one of the houses, she slipped her glasses into a pocket and took off into the sky, too fast for any human eye to see.

 

She could hear the crackling of fire, and when she touched down on the asphalt of a highway, she could see the wrecked car straight away. It was lying on its side and a woman was desperately trying to claw her way back into it. 

 

Putting up the hoodie, Kara quickly walked over to the woman and pulled her away.

 

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’m here to help.” Kara’s voice was strong and authoritative - a mix between her mother and father. “Step back, please.” X-raying the car, she spotted the small human child stuck in its seat. “I’ll get your baby for you.”

 

The woman was shaking, and Kara wasted no time ripping off the car door and reaching inside. In less than a second, the crying infant was in her arms, and Kara cradled it carefully to her chest as she walked away from the burning vehicle. 

 

Seeing the awe and gratitude on the woman’s face was more amazing than Kara could have ever anticipated. And when the woman gave her a one-armed hug to thank her for saving her and the baby, Kara couldn’t do anything but hug her back.

 

“Call an ambulance,” Kara told her, x-raying the car again to make sure that the tank wouldn’t explode before using her freeze breath to put out the flames. For a few seconds, the woman stared at her, then she fumbled for her phone. “I’ll be going. Have a nice day.” 

 

Before Kara could fly away, the woman grabbed her arm.

 

“Wait!” she said, her brows furrowed. “Who are you?”

 

Hesitating for a second, Kara wracked her brain trying to come up with what to say. She hadn’t thought about the fact that the woman might wonder who she was. Should she tell her that she was an alien? Would the woman even believe her?

 

“I’m just…” She thought of the comic books in Alex’s room. “I’m just your friendly neighborhood superhero.” With a shaky grin, Kara took off into the sky, trying and failing to comprehend what she should do next.

 

-

 

When Alex found her, Kara was talking to the crystal. 

 

She could tell that Alex was angry. Or disappointed. Or possibly both. Gulping, Kara shut off the crystal and put it back onto Alex’s bedside table. Eliza and Jeremiah still hadn’t realized that Kara didn’t sleep in the study - her room. 

 

“Please don’t be angry with me,” Kara said, folding her hands in her lap and giving Alex a more than guilty look. “I would have told you what was going on, but I needed to go as quickly as possible.”

 

Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex tapped one of her feet on the floor.

 

That meant she was  _ definitely  _ angry.

 

“You could’ve been hurt, or exposed, or worse,” Alex said quietly, the muscles in her arms clearly tense (Kara had to remind herself that now wasn’t the time to gawk at Alex’s nice physique). “What happened to not telling anybody that you have powers?”

 

“I couldn’t just let that woman and her baby die,” Kara defended herself, clenching her hands tighter together. “I had to help her!” She knew exactly why Alex was so beside herself with anger. The worry was clear as day in her eyes.

 

“You weren’t even wearing a mask, Kara, what if someone had been there? What if they had recorded you? You’re trying to keep a low profile, remember? To make sure no one finds you out here?” Alex ran both hands through her hair, marching back and forth in her bedroom. “Fuck, and my parents are going to be asking questions.”

 

She kicked at one of her discarded pieces of clothing.

 

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Kara tried to placate her, getting up from the bed and reaching out to touch Alex’s arm. When her friend pulled away, Kara frowned and tried to hide the pain she felt at being rejected. “I can take care of myself, Alex. I’m going to be just fine.” 

 

Placing her hands at her hips, Alex glared her down.

 

“You got lucky today, but what if you try this vigilante thing again, huh? The police aren’t too happy when civilians take the law into their own hands.” Alex cursed again and Kara winced. “And what if there  _ is  _ something on this planet that can hurt you, Kara?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Kara tried to soothe her, reaching out once more and grabbing Alex’s hand. Thankfully, Alex didn’t try to pull away this time. “I wasn’t thinking.” She took a step closer. “I just want to feel like I’m making a difference here. I can’t go back home to fight in the war and I don’t know if my parents even survived, but down here I can actually  _ help  _ people.”

 

Alex’s eyes softened just a tad.

 

“We can talk about it,” she said, turning fully towards Kara and taking her other hand as well. “But we need to come up with a better plan and a better costume, if you want to do this more often. And, while I hate to say it, we need to talk to my parents about it, too.”

 

Smiling, Kara leaned down to kiss Alex’s cheek.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered, bringing Alex’s hands closer to her body.

 

“I didn’t really do anything,” Alex breathed, her cheeks flushing with blood.

 

“You took me in,” Kara said, letting go of Alex’s left hand so she could cup Alex’s cheek.

 

Shrugging, Alex looked away from Kara.

 

“You needed help,” she said, clearly feeling self-conscious about the way Kara was looking at her. It was like Alex didn’t even see how kind and good she was. The thought made Kara ache inside. She blamed Alex’s parents. They tried, but Kara could see how much their disapproval affected Alex. 

 

Pulling Alex into a hug, Kara pushed her nose into her hair and breathed her in.

 

When she heard a door slam downstairs, Kara knew their alone time was over.

  
Eliza was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok fine i lied this needs a part 5. I'M SORRY
> 
> all mistakes are mine
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	21. different time, different place [Part 5]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Best friends" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Eliza is not happy that Alex and Kara didn't tell her about Kara's powers."

Gulping softly, Alex steeled herself for the coming onslaught of questions and anger. Her mom wasn’t supposed to be home this early. In fact, she’d been out with some of her scientist friends. The fact that she’d come back early told Alex everything she needed to know. 

 

“Okay, let’s just keep our calm,” Alex said, pulling away from Kara and smoothing down her t-shirt. “Maybe mom doesn’t even know anything.” It was a foolish dream, and Alex barely even had time to roll her eyes at herself, when she heard her mother’s voice from downstairs.

 

“Alex? Kara? Can you come down here, please?” Her voice was ice and Alex ran her hands through her hair. 

 

“Fine, so my mom knows,” she murmured, looking at Kara, who grimaced apologetically. “Take your mother’s crystal. We’re going to need all the help we can get when we go down to talk to her.”

 

“Alex!” Eliza called again, making Alex flinch just a bit.

 

“Coming, mom!” Alex replied, crossing her arms over her chest while Kara picked up the crystal. “We did the right thing by not telling her. We wanted to make sure that you could settle in before anyone started prodding at you.”

 

She was justifying her choices to herself now, but she had no idea what else she could do.

 

“Alex, everything will be fine,” Kara said softly, taking Alex’s hand. “The worst she could do would be to kick me out.” The idea made Alex feel uncomfortably sick inside. Let Kara go after the two of them had grown so close?

 

“She’s not going to do that. I’m not going to let her,” she said decisively, dragging Kara after her and into the hallway. “If she wants to kick you out, she has to kick me out.” Briefly, she wondered if her mother ever  _ would  _ throw her out, but she pushed the thought aside. Her mother was often  _ busy _ , but she wasn’t cruel. “We’re going to be fine.”

 

Kara’s hand stayed in Alex’s the entire time.

 

Eliza was standing next to the couch.

 

“Sit,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. As soon as Alex and Kara had complied, she stalked walking back and forth in front of the coffee table, and Alex felt uncomfortably reminded of her own coping mechanisms. “Do the two of you have anything you would like to share with me? Especially before your father comes home, Alexandra?”

 

Grimacing at the use of her full name, Alex held on even tighter to Kara’s hands.

 

“Um…” she started, scratching her socked feet across the carpet. “Maybe?”

 

With her jaw clenched almost to the breaking point, Eliza stopped right in front of them.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me about your powers, Kara?” She seemed genuinely hurt, and Alex wondered if she had misjudged her mother. Suddenly, Alex wasn’t feeling angry anymore. Now the guilt crept in along the edges, overpowering everything else.

 

“We were worried that…” Alex said, feeling like she’d shrunk several inches in the face of her mother’s pain. “We were worried that you and dad were going to take Kara away to your lab to run experiments on her.”

 

That didn’t make the hurt expression go away.

 

“Is that how you see us?” Eliza asked, shaking her head. “We’re not evil scientists, Alex. We’re not in the movies. We would never do anything that would hurt Kara, and we would never ask her to participate in any experiments she doesn’t feel comfortable with.”

 

Before Alex could say anything else, Eliza lifted both hands.

 

“I can understand why you wouldn’t tell us at first, but it’s been two months.” She shook her head again, and Alex felt even more like she was shrinking. She’d never meant to make her mother feel this awful. “We love Kara.”

 

Now Kara seemed to be shrinking, too.

  
“I’m sorry, Eliza,” she whispered, tears gleaming in her eyes. “I was scared.”

 

A moment later, Eliza was on the couch with both of her arms wrapped around Kara.

 

“Of course you were, honey,” she soothed her, giving Alex another disapproving look. “Alex should have told you that you can trust us. It’s not your fault.” She rubbed Kara’s back and squeezed her gently.

 

“My mother told Alex not to say anything,” Kara said, obviously trying to stop Eliza from blaming everything on Alex. “With the war going on, we needed to be careful that you and Jeremiah wouldn’t do anything. You shouldn’t punish Alex for a decision that my mother and I made.”

 

Pulling back just a bit, Eliza smiled kindly at Kara.

 

“Why don’t you tell me which powers you have?” she asked, patting Kara’s knee. “I’ll talk to Alex about everything later.” That was probably code for:  _ I will ground Alex later _ , but Alex barely even cared.

 

Sure, it was shitty that she would be in trouble, but at least her mother wasn’t angry with Kara.

 

That was something, at least.

 

-

 

“My mom grounded me for two weeks,” Alex grumbled as she slumped down next to Kara on the bed. “No hanging out with friends for two weeks.” She rubbed her forehead while Kara looked down at her with a mixture of sadness and guilt. “I don’t know if she’s going to tell me to stay away from you, too, but if she thinks she can do that, she’s got another thing coming.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered, resting her head on Alex’s stomach. “I tried to tell her again that it’s my fault, but she wouldn’t listen.” With a sigh, Alex closed her eyes and brought her hand to Kara’s hair, stroking it softly.

 

“It’s fine,” she said. “Mom’s always been hard on me. This is nothing new, and she sort of had a point. It’s not like I think my parents are evil scientists or anything… it was just nice, you know?” She twirled a lock of Kara’s hair around her finger. “Being the only one who knew your secret.”

 

Giving off a soft sigh of regret, Kara leaned up again, causing Alex to open her eyes once more. 

 

“You’re my best friend,” Kara said, taking Alex’s hand. “When my parents arrive to take me home, I want you to come with me.” Her stare was so intense, that Alex almost wanted to look away. “You have the spirit of a Kryptonian.”

 

Now Alex smiled a little.

  
“The spirit of a Kryptonian, huh?” Sitting up as well, Alex nudged her forehead against Kara’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I would be of any use on your planet.” She couldn’t even imagine being in a world other than her own. Sure, she’d started to learn a bit of Kryptonian from Alura and Kara, but that was nothing. “We don’t even know if I could survive in your atmosphere.”

 

Blushing, Kara shrugged self-consciously.

 

“I asked my mother about it,” she said, fiddling with Alex’s fingers. “Apparently Krypton’s levels of oxygen would be even healthier for you.” For a second, she looked back at Alex, before her eyes darted away again.

 

“You’ve thought about this,” Alex gently teased her, squeezing Kara’s hand. “I would love to see Krypton, but maybe we can occasionally vacation on Earth. Just to see how mom and dad are doing. I bet they’d love to come along.” She rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend, too, by the way.”

 

Even though Alex wouldn’t mind it at all if, maybe, she and Kara could move into more romantic territory at some point. She wasn’t sure how Kara felt about her (Alex’s brain was notoriously stupid at figuring out stuff like that), but Alex had at least been thinking about talking to Kara. 

 

Kara was different. If she’d been human, Alex wouldn’t have even  _ entertained  _ the thought of asking her. But Alex knew that Kara wouldn’t shun her or be weird around her if she found out about Alex’s feelings and didn’t feel the same way.

 

Because Kryptonians didn’t have the same hangups as humans did.

 

“I’m sure my mother will want to thank you in person,” Kara whispered, leaning her head against Alex’s hair. “For what you’ve done, you’ll always be an honorary member of the House of El. Which means you’ll be allowed to wear our coat of arms.”

 

“That’s cool.” Alex imagined what living on Krypton would look like for her. Dressed in the same robes as Kara had been when she’d come here. Wearing Kara’s crest on her chest. Being part of a noble house of scientists and lawmakers. There were certainly worse things. “We still need to talk about you wearing a mask when you go out to help people.”

 

They’d talked to Eliza about that as well, but she’d been too disappointed to give the whole thing proper thought. While she hadn’t rejected the idea outright, she’d made it very clear that they would need to discuss any and all plans with her and Jeremiah first, and that was one thing that she and Alex agreed on.

 

If Kara were to become a true superhero, she would need a costume, and Alex was absolutely crap at sewing. And at designing as well, for that matter. Alex wouldn’t even know what a potential costume would need to look like. 

 

“We can talk about that tomorrow.” Nudging Alex’s head with her shoulder, Kara got up from the bed after she’d disentangled herself and put Alex’s iPod into the docking station. “For now, I just want to rest, if that’s alright with you.”

 

Releasing a slow breath, Alex slumped onto her bed once more.

 

“Resting sounds fan-fucking-tastic,” she replied, closing her eyes and waiting for Kara to come over and cuddle her. 

 

A few seconds later, she did.

 

-

 

“How about this?” Kara asked, holding up her sketchbook and showing Alex the latest drawing she’d done of a potential costume. “Do you think the cape is too much?” She looked anxiously down at the drawing, waiting for Alex’s verdict.

 

“I like the cape, I just don’t know why you would want to wear a skirt. Seems a little inconvenient when you’re falling out of the sky. Wouldn’t it fly up and stuff?” Alex rubbed her chin in thought. “I like the boots, though.”

 

Humming, Kara studied her drawing once more. 

 

They were surrounded by discarded pieces of paper that showed the previous sketches.

 

“But a skirt would look really pretty,” Kara finally settled on. Then, she blushed. “And wearing skirts and dresses reminds me of what we wear on Krypton.” She furrowed her brows and Alex thought it looked unbearably cute. “Then again, our warriors do wear uniforms with pant legs.”

 

“You’re definitely a fearsome warrior,” Alex teased, stretching out on her back and playing with the hem of her t-shirt. “Do what you want. If you really,  _ really  _ need your outfit to have a skirt, then we just have to make sure that you wear extremely sturdy underwear.”

 

Putting aside the sketchbook, Kara mimicked Alex’s position.

 

“Do you think I can do it?” Kara asked, her foot bobbing along to the music.

 

It had been two weeks since Kara had saved that woman and her baby. The media had moved on by now (but only after painting the woman whom Kara had saved as a liar), and Alex could tell that Kara was getting antsy to go out and do more good.

 

“I think you can do anything,” Alex replied, mentally flogging herself for the generic and sappy answer. “You’re like, um…” She tried to find the right word, but it was difficult. “Like some sort of... Übermensch or something.”

 

When Kara furrowed her brows, Alex shrugged one shoulder.

 

“It’s a phrase from a German philosopher called Nietzsche,” she explained, feeling intensely gratified that Kara was listening with rapt attention. “He said that the ideal human should be called the Übermensch. Um, a kind of Superman.” She screwed up her face. “Only you’re not a man, so you’d be, um, a Supergirl, I guess.”

 

Alex was rambling.

 

She needed to stop.

 

“Might be a bit overconfident if I call myself the ideal human, don’t you think?” Kara asked her, turning onto her side so she would have an easier time looking at Alex. “Especially once the public finds out that I’m not even human to begin with.”

 

“You’re more human than some people ever will be.” Alex’s mind drifted to some of their politicians and their truly archaic views about society. “But I don’t think anyone would connect the dots between Nietzsche and  _ Supergirl _ , if you went with it. And it would work well with your crest, too.”

 

Kara seemed to mull this over for a couple of seconds.

 

“Supergirl, huh?” She shuffled closer to Alex. “It does have a nice ring to it.”

 

Alex’s grin was almost wider than her face.

 

-

 

“Brad asked me to the dance,” Kara mentioned off-handedly over dinner, three months after her arrival on Earth. Alex almost dropped the pot of hot soup she’d just been carrying over from the stove. 

 

“What did you say?” she asked, feeling as though she couldn’t breathe. Considering how gorgeous Kara looked and how funny she was and how well she dressed, Alex wasn’t at all surprised that Brad had made a move. He was a football player and Alex wanted to punch him every time he opened his mouth, but she guessed he could be described as handsome. If you were into that sort of thing.

 

“I told him to go away,” Kara said, shrugging and breaking off a piece of bread she and Alex had baked earlier that day after they’d come home from school. They were alone in the kitchen, because Eliza and Jeremiah were conferring with Alura up in the study. Alex didn’t expect them to come down anytime soon. “He smells like old sweat  _ all the time _ .”

 

“That he does,” Alex agreed, feeling as though she were floating around on cloud nine. 

 

“Did anyone ask you?” Kara’s voice was casual, but Alex saw the tension around her eyes. 

 

Actually…

 

“Jennifer asked me,” Alex mumbled, scuffing her shoes over the floor. Grabbing the ladle in the soup, Alex gave Kara a couple of hefty helpings. “But I told her that I’m not sure I’m even going to go.” She snuck a glance at Kara’s face. Was that relief or something else? “Do you want to go?”

 

“I think I’d like to have the high school dance experience,” Kara admitted, pushing her spoon into the soup and scooping it into her mouth, even though it was burning hot to the touch. Not that Kara’s Kryptonian tongue or mouth cared about such trivial things. “But I only want to go if you’re going, too.”

 

Blushing, Alex blew on her own spoonful of soup.

 

“We could go together,” Alex offered, trying not to make eye contact.

 

Kara’s voice was tentative when she replied.

 

“Do you mean as dates? Or as friends?” When the sound of metal snapping in half reached Alex’s ears, she finally did glance up. Kara looked incredibly vulnerable and Alex wondered briefly if she was misreading the situation in any way.

 

“Um… I was thinking as dates.” Her voice was barely audible, her spoon hovering above the soup. Even though she was so nervous, Alex was still absolutely sure that Kara wouldn’t abandon their friendship.

 

“That sounds nice,” Kara said, putting her broken spoon down on the table. “Do you want to color-coordinate our dresses? Do you want to go shopping together or separately?” Her response was so matter-of-fact that Alex almost dropped her own spoon.

 

“You want to be my date to the dance?” she asked, now honestly surprised.

 

“Yes,” Kara clarified, furrowing her brows. “Unless that wasn’t the answer you wanted to hear?”

 

“No, no, it is,” Alex said quickly, finally putting down the spoon. “It’s just… this was so much easier than I thought it would be.” She knew she sounded relieved and also pretty stupid, but she couldn’t have cared less about it.

 

“I like you, Alex,” Kara said, still clearly confused by Alex’s strange reaction. “I thought I made that very obvious? I read online that human mating behavior includes a lot of secrecy and subtle touches. I would have been more forward otherwise.”

 

Of course.

 

The fucking internet.

 

“I like you, too,” Alex confessed, feeling her heart go into overdrive. “Don’t ever listen to the internet again, though. It’s full of lies.” Suddenly, she felt giddy with happiness. She liked Kara and Kara liked her back. “I can’t believe you said yes.”

 

With a confused smile, Kara reached out to touch Alex’s arm.

 

“Why would I have ever said no?” She shook her head. “I told you you’re my best friend. On Krypton, it’s customary to marry your best friend.” Kara looked thoughtful for a moment. “In retrospect, I probably could have been a bit clearer about that.”

 

Feeling warmth spread through every fiber of her being, Alex tried to keep her blush at bay.

 

“Let’s not talk about marriage yet.”

 

Kara smiled and shrugged.

 

And Alex knew she was beyond screwed.

 

-

 

“Krypton sounds so cool. I can’t even imagine what you guys would fight over,” Alex whispered into the darkness, enjoying the feeling of having Kara tucked into her arms. Now that they’d both confessed to their feelings, Alex felt even more comfortable stroking her hands up and down Kara’s back.

 

“We’re a flawed people, just like you,” Kara replied, moving her hand over Alex’s stomach. “General Zod wanted more power than he was owed.” She sighed and nuzzled Alex’s chin with her nose. “My mother knew he would try to use me to get to our family.”

 

Alex tightened her hold on Kara.

 

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she said, pressing her lips against Kara’s hair. 

 

“I miss my family, but I’m grateful that my mother’s choice to send me away led me to you.” Kara leaned up on her left elbow so she could cup Alex’s cheek with her right hand. “We never would have met otherwise.”

 

Alex’s heart was pounding.

 

“Can I kiss you?” she asked, her hands still on Kara’s back. They were so close together that Alex almost couldn’t breathe. “I know we only talked about our feelings today and we haven’t had a date or anything yet, but…”

 

Kara’s lips on her own shut her right up.

 

-

 

It took ten years for Kara’s parents to come to Earth.

 

And when Kara introduced her parents to her wife, they welcomed Alex with open arms.

 

Even after Alex spilled coffee all over herself when the portal from Krypton opened right in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to end it here. it was either this or wrtiting out the next 10 years of their lives
> 
> all mistakes are mineee
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	22. chicken soup for the soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Murder, She Wrote" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Kara is sick. She's not the best patient."

Sneezing pitifully, Kara curled onto her side and pulled her knees up to her legs.

 

“I’m going to die now,” she murmured, clutching Alex’s pillow to her chest. “This is it.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex continued heating up the Kryptonian chicken soup.

 

“Who knew the mighty Supergirl would be such a drama queen?” she asked, stirring the soup with a ladle. 

 

“Ugh, you’re supposed to be taking care of me. You’re my girlfriend,” Kara grumbled, her voice sounding deeper than usual thanks to the alien cold she’d picked up. A few days ago, Alex and Kara had been transported to the Phantom Zone, where Kara’s powers had been temporarily suspended. “You’re not supposed to be sassing me.”

 

“I  _ am  _ taking care of you,” Alex protested, tasting the soup with a spoon and deeming it hot enough. “I could be out there right now kicking Non’s ass, but what am I doing? I’m here making you soup.” 

 

Clark and Astra could handle themselves against the alternate universe version of Non just fine.

 

She hoped.

 

Muttering under her breath, Kara sat up gingerly as Alex walked over with a plate in her hands.

 

“Scoot,” Alex told her, sitting down on the couch when Kara shuffled over to the side a bit. “I got the recipe from Astra, but I don’t know how well it turned out. I asked Maggie to help me out with the cooking part.” Astra had tried to copy an old Kryptonian recipe that mostly resembled human chicken soup and was used in much the same way - treating the sick. 

 

“We couldn’t get some of the ingredients, but I hope it tastes sort of the same, at least.” Alex shrugged as she handed over the plate and a spoon to Kara. “Astra tried to replace them as best she could.”

 

Nodding, Kara shuffled a little closer to Alex on the couch before taking a sip of the soup.

 

She closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation.

  
“It’s great,” she whispered, her voice just a little bit raspy. “It tastes almost the same.” Smiling, she had a few more spoonfuls. “My dad used to make this for me whenever I got sick.” A sad smile crossed her lips. “Did I ever tell you that I used to call Aunt Astra over to the house to tell her that the soup was ready?” Her eyes were a bit glassy from the cold, and Alex gently rubbed her back.

 

“Because Astra liked eating it so much?” Alex asked, slipping her hand under Kara’s t-shirt (which was actually Alex’s t-shirt) and rubbing the dimples at the small of Kara’s back. 

 

“Well, that’s what she  _ said _ ,” Kara continued, before taking a break in the story to have even more of the soup. “But I think she knew that coming over made me feel better. She just used the soup as an excuse, I think.”

 

Smiling gently, Alex pressed a kiss against Kara’s temple.

 

She was glad that this specific brand of alien cold didn’t affect her.

 

They’d run extensive tests at the DEO.

 

“Maybe you should call her and tell her that the soup is ready,” Alex suggested, drawing circles on Kara’s lower back, not even bothered by the fact that her girlfriend was sweaty and gross. “I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

 

Finishing her first plate of soup, Kara held it out so Alex could fill it up again.

 

“I don’t want to bother her,” Kara replied, pulling up Alex’s pillow and stuffing her face into it. She’d claimed that it was softer than her own, but Alex suspected that it had more to do with the fact that it smelled of her and that the scent helped Kara to calm down. 

 

“She would want you to bother her.” Alex filled up the plate with more soup. “She told you to call  _ anytime _ .” After the Myriad disaster, Astra had taken some time off to find herself. She’d traversed the Earth to figure out what she wanted to do next, and when she’d come back a couple of weeks ago, she’d wanted to work with the DEO. 

 

“Yeah…” Kara mumbled, reaching out for the second plate of hot soup. Kara still had trouble getting up the courage to make the first step towards reconciling properly with her aunt. 

 

Before she could take the plate, she sneezed, managing just in time to bring her hands over her nose so she wouldn’t create a goddamn snot tornado in the living room again. Looking up apologetically, Kara gave Alex a small smile. “Sorry.”

 

“Gesundheit,” Alex replied, putting down the plate and handing Kara a tissue. “This damn cold had better be over soon.” When Kara and Alex had come back from the Phantom Zone (the pocket dimension that had been built to keep prisoners of Krypton contained alongside Fort Rozz), Alex had been forced to feed Kara, because she had been so weak. 

 

“I’m sick of it,” Kara whispered, glancing at Alex out of the corner of her eyes. “ _ Sick _ of it. Get it?”

 

“Eat your soup, Supergirl.”

 

Grumbling, Kara did just that.

 

While she ate, Alex grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Up until a few minutes ago, Kara had been asleep in her bed. But now that Alex was back, Kara had insisted that they cuddle up on the couch and drown themselves in mindless television.

 

“Soup-ergirl,” Kara mumbled, making Alex roll her eyes and grin.

  
“I’m leaving you,” Alex threatened, leaning back against the couch.

  
“In your dreams.” Kara joked, before a coughing fit almost made her spill the rest of her soup. Reaching over, Alex took the plate out of her hand and shook her head. This damn cold was really starting to get on her nerves. Kara deserved better. “Sorry. Again.”

 

“It’s fine,” Alex said, putting the plate onto the table. “Let’s just snuggle for a while.”

 

Nodding sleepily, Kara pushed Alex onto her back and stretched out on top of her. Next, she pulled her blanket over them both and rested her head on Alex’s chest. Her breathing was slightly labored and she sniffled every couple of minutes.

 

“Can we watch something fun?” Kara mumbled, her left arm curled loosely around Alex’s pillow. “I don’t want anything sad right now.” She snuggled further into Alex’s body and let out a deep breath. “Just something fun to nap to.”

 

Stroking her hand across Kara’s back, Alex flicked through the channels.

 

“Go back, go back,” Kara suddenly said, waving around her elbow until Alex complied. 

 

“ _ Murder, She Wrote _ ?” Alex asked, giving the top of Kara’s head a dubious look. “That’s what you call fun? I was thinking more along the lines of cartoons or something.” She wouldn’t argue with Kara, but she did want to tease her just a little bit.

 

“Cartoons always make me cry,” Kara grumbled, while Alex watched Jessica Fletcher talk to a guy in a trenchcoat on the television. “And I don’t want to cry. I’m already sick enough.” As if to prove her point, Kara moved herself up onto her arms to sneeze against the inside of her arm. “Sorry.”

 

“Gesundheit,” Alex repeated, gently patting Kara’s arm. “Maybe you should go back to bed.”

 

“No,” Kara protested, blowing her nose before laying back down on Alex again. “I want to snuggle here with you and watch  _ Murder, She Wrote _ .” She pushed her head under Alex’s chin and relaxed her whole weight on Alex’s body. 

 

“Fine,” Alex said, smiling to herself. “No sleeping, just snuggling.”

 

A couple of minutes later, Kara was asleep.

 

Chuckling to herself, Alex turned down the volume of the television and closed her eyes as well. Worrying about the alternate version of Non fucking up her city (and possibly coming after Kara again while she was sick) had her wired and stressed all the time. Even though Clark and Astra were on the case, it was difficult not to jump into the action herself.

 

She’d promised J’onn that she would take care of Kara, and Alex had taken the task to heart (as she would have with or without J’onn’s orders). Seeing Kara so sick and unhappy made Alex physically ache inside.

 

Brushing a kiss against the top of Kara’s head, Alex tried not to think about that as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s back.

 

She could worry about the alternate Non at another time.

  
Right now, she had some snuggling to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love our cuties
> 
> thanks to beaglesinbowties for betaing !
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	23. Working Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "Working late" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "J'onn is ready to reprimand Alex for working so late."
> 
>  **NOTE:** Because I spent 10hrs hanging out with friends today, I didn't have much time to write, so I asked the lovely justanexercise to write this for me! :))

J’onn nods to the agents in the night shift, his attention drawing back to his tablet as he takes a walk around the DEO facility. Walking helps him think, clears his head, plus it makes slacker agents jump to attention every time he pins them with a glare. Passing by the control room, J’onn raises his eyebrows.

 

“Kara what are you doing here?” He puts the tablet on the table. “Emergency?”

 

“Oh no no, just working on my article.” Kara waves at her laptop, showing him her half-written document.

 

He nods. Sometimes it’s better to work elsewhere with little distraction.

 

“What’s your article about?”

 

Kara sighs and rubs her eyes under her glasses. “Climate change. I can’t believe I have to write an objective piece on this when it’s so obvious that it’s real!” Kara smiles slyly. “You know…there’s some sources at the DEO—“

 

He cuts her off with a look.

 

Kara slumps. “Just a suggestion, you know so the planet doesn’t like melt or something.”

 

“I am sure you will write a rousing article to prevent it.”

 

Kara turns back to her work with another pout. “Sure, put all the load on a lowly reporter when Supergirl could totally make a difference.”

 

J’onn shakes his head and continues on his walk, he has faith in humanity, they’ll come around. And if they don’t, well…he hears that Venus has an amazing sunrise.

 

He hears a muttered curse and glances up. Alex is hunched over in her lab, glasses on and cursing at data sets. He frowns. She shouldn’t be here anymore, but then again the alien flu virus spreading is a cause for concern, especially if it mutates and infects humans. He leaves her to it, if worse comes to worse he’ll just have to enlist Kara to physically haul Alex away from the labs.

 

-

 

Not even an hour passes before J’onn feels the need to do another patrol. Several agents spring up to attention, acting as if they hadn’t been dozing off. He’ll brew another pot of coffee later. His path this time takes him straight to the control room; looks like Kara isn’t there anymore. One Danvers down.

 

He strolls through the lab area again and his initial assessment revises. Both Danvers are still here. Alex dutifully working on her notes while Kara refills Alex’s coffee cup and places a granola bar in Alex’s hands. Alex grins at Kara before she focuses once more on work. Kara ducks down and kisses Alex on the cheek before she bounces out of the lab.

 

“Oh hey J’onn,” Kara says. She puts the coffee pot up. “Coffee?”

 

“I’m fine. Shouldn’t you be at home Supergirl?”

 

Kara shifts uncomfortably at his disapproving look. “W-well I’m not done with my article yet so…I’ll just stay for a bit longer. Don’t worry I won’t distract anyone!”

 

She’s already speed running down the hall, refilling coffee for everyone she passes by. J’onn shakes his head; maybe he’ll need to add a sedative to the coffee for them.

 

-

 

It’s 6AM, Alex has been at the DEO for over 48 hours and it’s time to put a stop to this. J’onn yawns loudly, nodding his head at the morning crew just coming in. He needs some sleep too. He should not have bet against Lucy Lane, he should’ve known that she’d have something up her sleeve for her to bet a whole month’s worth of night shifts.

 

J’onn gets a speech prepared to get the two to leave the DEO and go home. He startles at end of the hallway, watching as Kara lifts a sleeping Alex on the bench and wraps a blanket around her. Kara carefully takes off Alex’s glasses. She hovers over Alex before settling down behind her, Alex sleepily cuddling into her.

 

Making an about turn, J’onn instructs that the labs on that side are off limits and if anyone makes any loud noises they’re up for latrine duty. He also makes a note to buy a sturdier bench, one that can fit two people and be able to hold Kryptonian weight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> endlessly adorable, right?
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo
> 
> find @justanexercise on tumblr xoxo


	24. my best friend's hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word/Prompt: "A party with all the ladies" [Alex x Kara; Fluff]
> 
> Summary: "Everybody's at the alien bar and having a really good time."

“This song is for my best friend Kara Danvers,” Lucy yelled into the microphone. She was swaying a little on the count of her having finished roughly the equivalent of a tequila bottle all by herself. “Who is getting fucking  _ married _ !”

 

The guests in the club screamed in excitement at Lucy’s exuberant shout, and Kara almost clapped her hands over her face to hide her embarrassment. Maybe they should have rented out a nice restaurant after all, instead of listening to Lucy and going to the alien bar that Maggie had introduced them to. 

 

When the first notes of  _ My Best Friend’s Hot _ by  _ The Dollyrots _ started playing, Kara let out a long-suffering sigh. She’d mostly been refusing to drink - sticking to something sweet and light - because Alex had been challenged to a drinking contest by Maggie and Kara wanted to keep an eye on her. 

 

Someone desperately needed to keep perspective here.

 

That didn’t mean Kara wasn’t having fun. Watching her friends and colleagues getting wasted around her and listening to all of their nonsensical talk was definitely an experience, and Kara loved the drunk and happy version of Alex more than she liked to admit. As long as Kara could keep her fiancée from thinking about all the things in their lives that went wrong on a regular basis.

 

“Suck it, Sawyer!” Alex called out, slamming her empty shot glass down on the table.

 

Maggie raised one eyebrow. She seemed to be holding her liquor better than Alex - if that was even possible. Sadly, Alex had a lot of experience with being drunk, something that Kara had pestered her to work on ever since they’d officially gotten together a few years ago. 

 

“In your dreams, Danvers,” Maggie retorted, downing another shot and giving Alex a challenging grin. “I would give up now, if I were you. Bowing out gracefully will be better than getting your ass handed to you days before your wedding. Much less humiliating that way.”

 

Alex snorted, then gave her the finger.

 

“Amateurs,” Lois mumbled, sipping from her scotch. “I would beat both of your asses twice over.” It really was too bad that Lois had to get on an early flight back to Metropolis the next morning, or else Kara was sure she would’ve already been drunk and having a much better time. At least she would be back for the wedding. 

 

“You’re just saying that because you can’t participate,” Maggie goaded her, tipping back two more shots and giving both Alex and Lois a victorious look. “No one beats Maggie Sawyer in a drink-off.” 

 

Before Alex could down her own two shots, Kara reached out with her hand.

 

“Maybe you should cut back a little,” she said gently, trying to keep Alex from contracting alcohol poisoning. With the way Alex and Maggie were egging each other on, it was more than likely that one or both of them would end up puking in a corner by the end of the night. And that just wouldn’t be fun for anyone, especially not Kara, who would probably get clean-up duty.

 

Sighing, Alex put down the shot.

 

“I guess I shouldn’t be blackout drunk for my own engagement party,” she said ruefully, giving Maggie the stinkeye. “This isn’t over, Sawyer. The next time, we’re ending this, and I’m going to kick your ass into space.”

 

With a wide shit-eating grin, Maggie placed her chin in her hand.

 

“Of course, Danvers.” She winked. “This is all Kara’s fault, and definitely not because you’re too chicken to finish what you started.” Next, she looked at Kara, and the suddenly genuine smile on her face made Kara feel like she’d gotten the Maggie Sawyer Seal of Approval. “Go get her drunk ass away from me, before she starts a brawl.”

 

It was clear that Maggie was joking, but a quick glance at Alex confirmed to Kara that her fiancée looked almost mutinous enough to start  _ something  _ that probably wouldn’t end well. Softly shaking her head, Kara grabbed Alex’s hand and got to her feet.

 

“Let’s go and dance for a bit,” she whispered into Alex’s ear, and even though Alex looked a bit reluctant, she eventually got to her feet. But not without giving Maggie one more glare and shaking her fist at her.

 

“I will crush you,” Alex warned her, which made Maggie laugh.

 

Lois looked on with fondness in her eyes, while Kara dragged Alex over to the crowded dancefloor. Somehow, the news of everybody’s favorite patron (which, of course, was Kara) getting married had spread prior to this outing, and everybody in the bar had been congratulating her all night. 

 

And Alex, of course.

 

But Alex was known much less as a patron and more as a force to be reckoned with. Nobody messed with Alex’s group without getting their ass handed to them. Ultimately, though, Kara knew that the longtime visitors of the bar were glad that Alex was around. She’d driven away quite a few of the less pleasant sort that had frequented the place before Alex had started showing up.

 

Wrapping her arms around Alex’s neck, Kara held her fiancée close.

 

“No more alcohol for you tonight,” she warned gently, before giving Alex a gentle kiss. 

 

“Yeah, I guess I should cut back a bit,” Alex agreed, her own arms curling around Kara’s waist. They swayed softly to the sounds of Lucy’s next karaoke number. At some point during the night, she’d hogged the machine, and everybody had gone along with it because a) Lucy was very scary, and b) actually not a bad singer. “Or mom is going to kill me.”

 

Alex and Eliza were supposed to go fix something last-minute on Alex’s Kryptonian wedding robe the day after the party. They’d decided to have two weddings. A public one to celebrate with their friends who didn’t know Kara was an alien - and a private one with very few select guests that would be presided over by Astra.

 

“She’s  _ already  _ going to kill you,” Kara teased her, feeling relaxed and happy now that she was in Alex’s arms. It was a proven fact that Eliza could  _ always  _ tell when Alex was even the least bit hungover. 

 

“I know,” Alex whined, giving off a mighty sigh. 

 

“I’ll marry your ghost. I promise.” Kara drew them a little bit more to the side so they weren’t in the middle of the crowd anymore. She always felt just a little bit claustrophobic when she was surrounded by too many humans. There were simply too many sounds and sights for her Kryptonian senses to take in all at once. When Kara had first come to Earth, she’d suffered from many episodes of sensory overload.

 

“So romantic,” Alex sassed her back, bumping Kara’s nose with her own. 

 

“Only for you,  _ babe _ .” Kara’s voice was deep and lecherous, and Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. She hated that particularly nickname most of all, and Kara made it a point to use it as much as possible to get Alex to huff. 

 

“Don’t think I won’t break off the engagement,” Alex threatened her lightly, rubbing her hands up and down Kara’s sides as they continued to sway, even though the music had a much faster beat to it. 

 

Before Kara could answer, they were joined by Astra, who had changed out of her customary black leotard and was now dressed in a pair of tight black jeans and a white button-up shirt. She looked every bit as intimidating like this as she did in her proper Kryptonian warrior costume. 

 

Not to Kara, of course.

 

When Kara looked at her aunt, she saw only love.

 

“You made it!” Kara cried out, letting go of Alex and throwing her arms around her aunt. And yeah fine, maybe it was weird to invite your aunt to your bachelorette party, but screw it. Kara was a Kryptonian - she was basically hard-wired to be weird on this planet. 

 

“Of course, Little One,” Astra rumbled gently, holding Kara back just as fiercely. Since Astra had been out of the country on an important mission, Kara hadn’t been sure if her aunt could wrap up her job quickly enough to join them here. 

 

“Hey, Astra,” Alex greeted her, giving Astra a nervous smile. The two of them were still on shaky ground, since Alex had almost stabbed the other woman to death with a kryptonite sword a couple of years ago. Their relationship had grown less antagonistic, but they still weren’t the best of friends. On most days, they tolerated each other for Kara’s sake. “Glad you could be here.”

 

Kara could tell that her fiancée wasn’t lying, and she squealed happily as she shuffled back into Alex’s arms. Nothing made her happier than to see two of the people she loved most in this world get along and be nice to one another. 

 

“Agent Danvers,” Astra greeted her, actually managing to produce a somewhat friendly smile. “I was hoping we could have a conversation. Just the two of us.” She drew herself up to her full height and Kara had the feeling this  _ conversation  _ was not going to end well.

 

“Sure,” Alex agreed, pulling her arms away from Kara’s waist. “Lead the way.”

 

When Kara looked at her anxiously behind Astra’s back, Alex shrugged and kissed her cheek. 

 

Gulping silently, Kara watched her fiancée being lead to a more quiet corner of the bar, where Astra proceeded to cross her arms over her chest and glare at Alex more fiercely than Kara had ever seen before. 

 

A small part of Kara’s brain told her not to listen in. It really wasn’t any of her business what Astra had to say to Alex. But a bigger part of her - the one that worried for both her aunt  _ and  _ her fiancée - told her to screw morality and use her super hearing instead. Just to make sure that neither Alex nor Astra did anything they’d regret.

 

The bigger part won out.

 

She turned on her super hearing just in time.

 

“What do you need, Astra?” Alex had her hands placed on her waist. Considering the amount of alcohol she’d poured down her gullet, Alex looked surprisingly steady, and Kara was equal amounts impressed and saddened by that fact. 

 

“I would like to remind you again of what we spoke about,” Astra said, taking a step closer as though expecting Alex to buckle and step back. Even now, years later, the two of them still couldn’t get it into their heads that they were both too stubborn to bow down to the other’s threats. 

 

“I haven’t forgotten,” Alex growled back, the alcohol in her system making her more prone to lash out. 

 

“Good.” Astra looked just a bit mollified. “I am glad I could make myself understood.”

 

Then, without another word, she stalked towards the bar, leaving a fuming Alex behind, who proceeded to kick the wall right next to her. Before she could do any more damage to herself, Kara hurried over to her fiancée.

 

“Hey, hey, that wall has done nothing to offend you, has it?” Kara asked, pulling at Alex’s hand, taking her over to an unoccupied booth. Pushing Alex down on the bench, Kara scooted in after her. “What did Aunt Astra want to talk to you about?”

 

Pouting at Kara’s slight roughness, Alex started tearing up one of the coasters on the table.

 

“Doesn’t matter.” She shrugged. “Besides, didn’t you listen in?”

 

Alex gave her a knowing look and Kara blushed.

 

“I was worried,” Kara defended herself, pulling Alex’s hands into her lap. She hated seeing Alex this out of sorts - especially on a night that was supposed to be fun. Kara loved her aunt dearly, but she could be a bit of a killjoy at times. Even if she was currently chugging drinks at the bar and chatting up the bartender - Maggie’s ex, if Kara recalled that correctly. 

 

Whatever Astra had said to Alex previously, it had put her in a terrible mood.

 

“It’s nothing.” Alex shrugged again. “Just Astra being a big Kryptonian dick.”

 

With a sigh, Kara let go of Alex’s hands with one of her own so she could brush some of her fiancée’s beautiful hair behind her ear. Next, Kara cupped Alex’s cheek. This was exactly what Kara had been trying to avoid. The melancholic drunk version of Alex was much harder on her heart.

 

“Tell me?” Kara pleaded, giving Alex a small kiss.

 

Letting out a low breath, Alex rubbed her forehead.

 

“I don’t even know why it’s ticking me off so much,” she confessed, giving Kara a slightly sheepish look. “I know I should have expected some kind of shovel talk from Astra, but the way she  _ said  _ it.” She clenched her jaw. “Like she was expecting me to do something stupid and ruin our relationship.”

 

Kara instinctively pulled her closer. She and Alex had talked plenty about their fears and worries going forward into their relationship, so she knew how scared Alex was that she would cause them to break up by making a mistake. Of course, Kara had tried to reassure her, but there was only so much that she could do. 

 

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that,” Kara said, leaning in and giving Alex a long and soft kiss. “You know she’s overprotective.” Another kiss, this one smaller. Sweeter. “If the two of you could just get over the whole stabbing incident, I know she’d think the world of you.” Cupping Alex’s neck, Kara stroked along Alex’s pulse point, trying to calm her fiancée’s racing heart. “I got several talks from Maggie about not breaking your heart.”

 

That made Alex raise an eyebrow.

 

“Really?” she asked, looking over to try and spot her friend in the crowd.

 

“Yep,” Kara confirmed, thinking back to all the times Maggie had  _ casually dropped by _ to talk to Kara about her plans to marry Alex. It had been alternately sweet and absolutely terrifying. Maggie was small, but she was also fierce, and she loved Alex as much as Kara loved Lucy. “She even threatened me with kryptonite.”

 

Shaking her head, Alex wrapped her hand around Kara’s forearm.

 

“That’s a bit excessive,” she whispered, quietly grinning to herself. There was no doubt in Kara’s mind that Alex was thanking her lucky stars for Maggie. “Almost as excessive as Astra threatening to tear out my spine if I broke the Kryptonian vow to spend all of eternity with you.”

 

Kara blinked.

 

“She did what?” Alright, now Kara was kind of miffed at her aunt. It was one thing to tell Alex off in advance - it was quite another to threaten her with  _ murder _ . Sighing, Kara gave Alex a big hug. “I’m sorry.”

 

Hugging Kara back fiercely, Alex buried her face in Kara’s shoulder.

 

“It’s okay,” she murmured, her voice muffled. “She loves you.”

 

That much was true, at least, but the fact that Astra had been so violently descriptive in her threat still didn’t sit well with her. She would need to have a serious discussion with her aunt about boundaries and proper Earth behavior - again. 

 

“We should probably get back to the party,” Kara whispered, closing her eyes and taking in the feel of Alex’s body. “Before someone realizes we’re having a moment and decides to ruin it for us.”

 

Alex chuckled and pulled away, looking much less sad and self-deprecating than she had a moment ago, which Kara counted as a definite win. With a flourish, Kara got to her feet and stretched her hand out to Alex, who grinned and let herself get dragged into Kara’s arms. 

 

“Being together for all of eternity sounds nice, by the way,” Kara said as she pulled Alex after herself and over to Vasquez, who was dancing with Siobhan. “Aside from the whole spine-ripping thing, Astra sure does have a way with words.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex took Kara’s hand and spun her around.

 

“ _ Aside from the spine-ripping _ ,” she repeated Kara’s words sarcastically as she pulled her closer again. On stage, Lucy had been joined by Mon-El and Winn, who were singing back-up for her. The whole sight was so ridiculous that Kara couldn’t help but burst out into raucous laughter.

 

J’onn was sitting at the bar with M’gann, and a glance told Kara that Lois and Maggie were caught up in an arm-wrestling contest while James cheered them on. It was nice having all of her friends and family here. The only one people who were missing were Cat and Clark.

 

Cat had declined the invitation because she was still out of the country. She’d promised to be at the wedding, however, and Kara couldn’t wait to see her ex-boss again. Meanwhile, Clark was busy protecting National City while Kara had a good time.

 

“Uh-oh,” Alex suddenly said, a grimace coming over her features. “Mon-El is taking off his shirt. This is not going to end well.” Turning around, Kara watched as her friend threw his shirt into the crowd, proudly displaying his naked torso while Lucy continued to sing - albeit through laughter. “I am too gay for this.” 

 

Shaking her head, Kara gave Alex a kiss on the cheek.

 

“I’ll be right back,” she said, stalking off to gather up Mon-El’s t-shirt. It was sweaty and Kara gave off a sigh as she pulled him off the stage to much booing from the people on the dancefloor. They clearly hadn’t minded seeing Mon-El half-naked. “Put this back on.”

 

Grumbling, Mon-El complied.

 

“Yes, mother,” he joked, shrinking a little as Kara glared at him. He’d gotten a lot better at controlling his impulsivity over the years, but occasionally he still acted like a frat guy. Especially when he was drunk. 

 

Once that was taken care of, Kara walked back over to where she’d left Alex, who was being obscenely grinded on by Siobhan. Standing next to them was Vasquez, who had their phone in their hand and was recording the whole thing with a highly amused grin on their drunken face. Kara had a feeling Vasquez wanted to archive this important moment so Lucy would be able to look at it later and laugh.

 

Trying to hide her grin, Kara stopped next to Vasquez and watched as Alex tried to take a step back, only for Siobhan to follow her. Siobhan’s arms were wrapped around Alex’s neck and her hips were doing all sorts of things that Alex did not seem too happy about.

 

Kara might have been jealous, maybe, if she weren’t perfectly aware of the fact that Siobhan was in a committed relationship with Lucy and Vasquez. And if Alex’s facial expression hadn’t been clearly indicative of how much she did  _ not  _ enjoy Siobhan’s ridiculously over the top advances.

 

Once Vasquez was done recording, Kara stepped in to save her fiancée.

 

“Can I take over?” she asked Siobhan, who gave Kara an amused look. 

 

“By all means,” she drawled, slapping Alex on the ass she walked back over to Vasquez. The only reason she wasn’t dead after that little stunt, was that Alex couldn’t move past Kara, who had trapped her in a loving hug.

 

“One day, I am going to murder her,” Alex growled, giving in to her fate and slumping in Kara’s arms. “Just because she can blow me away with her stupid siren powers doesn’t mean I couldn’t shoot her first.”

 

Smiling gently down at Alex, Kara pulled her into another kiss.

 

“You’re so cute when you’re planning evil things,” she whispered, not even caring that Vasquez was holding up their phone again. In a few years, she and Alex would likely be glad for any and all footage of this night. 

 

Surrounded by their friends and the other people that frequented the bar, Kara felt safer than she did perhaps anywhere else. With Alex in her arms and Lucy serenading them all, she could close her eyes and just  _ feel  _ the moment.

  
Without worrying about a single thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy holidays, everybody! a bit of cute engagement party fluff for you guys to enjoy :) while this was supposed to close out the calendar, I still have a few prompts left (thanks to the multi-chapter prompts), so you can expect a few more chapters from me! huzzah! I would like to thank everyone who has commented and left kudos! Just know that you make my world go round c:
> 
> all mistakes are mine
> 
> find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr


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